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VALOR  &  VICTORY 
THE  AGE   OF   VINDICATION 

1783-1824 


Cl)e  &eal  America  in  Romance 


VALOR  AND  VICTORY 

THE  AGE  OF  VINDICATION 

1783-1824 


EDITED  BY 


EDWIN   MARKHAM 

AUTHOR  OF  "THK  MAN  WITH  THK  HOE,  AND  OTHER  POEMS-, 

"LINCOLN,  AND  OTHER  POEMS,"  "VIRGILIA,  AND  OTHER 

POEMS,"  "THE  POETRY  OF  JESUS,"  ETC. 


VOLUME  X 


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NEW  YORK        CHICAGO 

WILLIAM  H.  WISE  &  COMPANY 

MCMXII 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
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COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 

FUNK  &  WAGNALLS  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK. 


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VALOR    &   VICTORY 
THE   AGE    OF   VINDICATION 

"HT^HE  times  that  try  men's  souls  are  over,"  declared 
JL  Tom  Paine  when  he  heard  of  the  Treaty  of  Paris 
and  immediately  discontinued  his  publication  of  The  Crisis. 
Such,  indeed,  was  the  general  belief.  History,  slow  to  fulfill 
and  slower  to  prophesy,  shows  us  in  this  volume  that  dangers 
far  more  subtle  and  menacing  than  those  of  war  were  still 
hanging  over  the  infant  republic. 

In  the  eyes  of  Europe  the  entire  principle  underlying 
popular  government  was  on  trial  —  and  to  an  extent  still 
is.  It  was  regarded  as  a  mischievous  experiment  from  the 
point  of  view  of  monarchists;  a  dangerous  one  in  the  opin 
ion  of  many  lovers  of  liberty.  The  new  nation  was  not  yet 
nationalized.  It  was  a  dissociated  group  of  republics  rather 
than  itself  a  republic.  The  very  feeling  of  its  people  had 
not  become  American.  Even  after  the  fine  learning  of  the 
Fathers  of  the  Constitution  had  evolved  popular  govern 
ment  from  a  profound  knowledge  of  the  failures  of  all  former 
republican  systems,  the  two  political  parties  which  sprang 
into  being  were,  respectively,  British  and  French,  not 
American. 

The  outbreak  of  mob  violence,  as  shown  in  Shays's  and 
the  Whiskey  Rebellions,  the  tariff  wars  that  sprang  up  be 
tween  the  States,  the  lack  of  sufficient  unification  to  make  the 
government  of  the  Confederation  obeyed  at  home  or  re 
spected  abroad,  made  their  appeal  to  the  statesmen  of  the 
Revolutionary  period,  who  not  only  brought  their  great 
influence  to  bear  upon  the  people  at  large  in  framing  a  per 
manent  Constitution,  but  lived  to  rule  the  destinies  of  the 

5 


6  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

nation  under  it  until  the  election  of  Jackson  and  the  rise  of 
a  true  democracy. 

Two  wars  tested  the  capacities  of  the  United  States 
during  this  generation,  both  of  them  truly  wars  of  inde 
pendence,  one  necessary  to  avoid  American  endorsement  of 
the  atrocities  of  the  French  Revolution  and  to  rid  the 
Republican  party  from  what  threatened  to  be  an  over 
powering  prepossession ;  the  other  with  Great  Britain  to 
free  our  commerce  upon  the  seas,  and,  not  less,  to  free  the 
Federalist  party  and  its  sympathizers  from  a  humble  sub 
servience  to  the  mother  country. 

In  none  of  the  volumes  of  the  series  could  the  method 
of  romantic  presentation  of  history  adopted  for  "The  Real 
America  in  Romance"  be  submitted  to  a  closer  test.  The 
details  of  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  are  not  light  or 
easy  reading;  the  facts  of  the  War  of  1812  scatter  them 
selves  over  the  high  seas  of  the  world.  Yet  it  is  submitted 
that  these  and  much  more  have  been  so  linked  with  the 
romantic  feeling  which  pervades  the  book  that  they  will  im 
press  themselves  upon  the  reader's  mind  in  a  manner  impossi 
ble  to  those  who  confine  their  reading  to  the  ordinarily 
accepted  histories.  One  learns  of  the  advancement  of  our 
frontiers,  of  the  beginnings  of  that  control  of  the  Great  Lakes 
and  the  great  rivers  which  has  given  us  an  internal  commerce 
unsurpassed  in  the  world's  annals,  of  the  opening  of  the 
Great  West,  not  merely  to  the  Mississippi  but  as  far  as  the 
Oregon  country,  which  the  explorations  of  Lewis  and  Clark 
secured  to  us  forever.  Side  by  side  with  these  mighty  facts 
are  all  the  entertainment,  all  the  suspense  of  a  complicated 
love  story,  of  rivalry  and  plot,  of  questions  of  identity  solved 
at  last ;  yet  above  and  beyond  them  still  the  march  of  events 
which  led  through  American  valor  and  victory  into  vindica 
tion  of  that  republican  form  of  government  to  which  these 
United  States  are  pledged  eternally. 


CONTENTS 


BOOK  I 
THE   CRITICAL   PERIOD 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    TAMING  THE  BEAST    .  19 

II    LOVE  AND  A  TORY      ...  -37 

III  THE  FIRST  LINK         .  52 

IV  CONCERNING  DIVERS  MATTERS  66 
V    LOVE  AND  A  LETTER  ...  -87 

VI    MORE  LOVERS  THAN  ONE    .         .  .         ,107 

VII    MORE  FRIENDS  THAN  ONE  .     118 

VIII    MORE  LOVES  THAN  ONE     .  132 

BOOK   II 

REMINISCENCES    OF  A   RETIRED    NAVAL  OFFICER 

I    MATTERS  OF  STATE 145 

II    THE  WOMAN,  AND  JEALOUSY       .  .         .161 

III  ALEXANDER  HAMILTON         .  180 

IV  HISTORY,  AND  A  DISCLOSURE       .  .         -194 
V    To  SEA  ON  A  QUEST           .         .  .210 

VI    IN  THE  BARBARY  STATES     .         .  .         -225 

VII    DANGERS,  AND  A  GLASS  OF  WINE  .         .     242 

BOOK  III 
THE    SECOND    WAR 

I    THE  SECRETARY  HAS  GUESTS      ,  .         .     256 

II    THE  TRAVELER            .         .         .  .         .274 

III  SNELL  OBTAINS  A  REWARD           .  .              289 

IV  RUTH  LEARNS  ARITHMETIC           .  .         -307 

7 


8  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

V  RUTH  GROWS  SUSPICIOUS    .         .  .         -321 

VI  RUTH  SETS  A  TASK     .  ,         .     333 

VII  LETTERS  FROM  A  HERO        .  348 

VIII  RETALIATION       .         .         .         .  .         -367 

IX  RUTH  REACHES  A  DECISION         .  .         .     379 

X  A  MESSAGE         ......     394 

XI  SIMON  THWAITE  LEAVES  TOWN  .         .411 

XII  THE  MESSAGE  DELIVERED  .     423 

BOOK  IV 
ON   MANY   SEAS 

I  UNDER  THE  ENEMY'S  FLAG           .  .         -437 

II  THE  ENEMY  is  OURS           .  454 

III  THE  END  OF  MY  QUEST     ....     464 

IV  AN  OLD  HATE,  AND  A  NEW        .  .         .482 
V  AN   OLD  LOVE,  AND  A  NEW        .  .        '.     490 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

PERRY'S  VICTORY  ON  LAKE  ERIE    (From  the  painting  by  Powell   in   the 

Senate  Chamber,  Washington]  .....  Frontispiece         4 

JAMES  MADISON     (After  the  Stuart  portrait)     ....  19 

HOUDON'S  STATUE  OF  WASHINGTON  IN  THE  CAPITOL  AT  RICHMOND          .       20 
WASHINGTON     (After  the  Houdon  bust)    .          .          .          .          .          .          .21 

THE   AMERICAN   PEACE    COMMISSION     (After   the   unfinished  painting   by 

Benjamin  West)       ....  .22 

HORATIO  GATES     (From  the  contemporary  portrait)  ....        23 

MONUMENT  AT  LIVINGSTON  MANOR,  DOBBS'  FERRY,  NEW  YORK      .          .       26 
LIVINGSTON  MANOR,  DOBBS'  FERRY,  NEW  YORK     .          .          .          .          -27 

THE    OLD    HASBROUCK    MANSION,    NEWBURGH,    WASHINGTON'S     HEAD 
QUARTERS  IN  1782-83      ......  .      Full  Page       29 

INTERIOR  OF  WASHINGTON'S  HEADQUARTERS  AT  NEWBURGH  .  .  .32 
LOOKING  ACROSS  THE  HUDSON  RIVER  AT  NEWBURGH  .  .  -33 

MONUMENT  ON  THE  SITE  OF  THE  CAMP  AT  NEWBURGH  ...  34 
THE  DELAVAN  PLOT  IN  SLEEPY  HOLLOW  CEMETERY.  TARRYTOWN  .  .  35 
GREENOUGH'S  STATUE  OF  WASHINGTON  AT  WASHINGTON  .  36 

THE  DECORATION  OF  THE  CINCINNATI 37 

WASHINGTON  (From  the  portrait  by  Trumbull,  in  the  City  Hall,  New  York)       38 
THE  BLESSING  OF  PEACE     (From  the  bronze  doors  of  the  Capitol  at  Wash 
ington,  by  Rogers)    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .39 

JOHN  DICKINSON     (From  the  portrait  in  the  Capitol  at  Harrisburg)     .          .       40 
THE  HEADQUARTERS  AT  ROCKY  HILL,  NEAR  PRINCETON,  WHERE  WASH 
INGTON  WROTE  HIS  FAREWELL  ADDRESS  TO  THE  ARMY  IN  1783         .       41 
NASSAU  HALL,  PRINCETON  UNIVERSITY:   THE  CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS  SAT 

HERE    IN     1783,    AND    HERE    WASHINGTON    RECEIVED    THE    NATIONAL 

THANKS  FOR  THE  SUCCESSFUL  CONDUCT  OF  THE  REVOLUTION  .          .41 
ENTRANCE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ARMY  INTO  NEW  YORK,  NOVEMBER  25,  1783 

(From  the  engraving  by  Chapin)         .....  -43 

WASHINGTON'S  FAREWELL  TO  HIS  OFFICERS  AT  FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN         .       45 
WASHINGTON    RESIGNING    HIS    COMMISSION   AT   ANNAPOLIS,    MARYLAND, 
1783     (From  the  painting  by  Trumbull  in  the  rotunda  of  the  Capitol  at 
Washington)  .........   Full  Page        47 

THE  OLD  CITY  HOTEL  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  WHERE  WASHINGTON  WAS   ENTER 
TAINED  ...........       49 

THE  OLD  SENATE  CHAMBER  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND,  WHERE  WASH 
INGTON  RESIGNED  HIS  COMMISSION 50 

THE  OLD  STATE  HOUSE  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND       .          .          .  51 

TABLET  ON  FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN  .          .          .          .          .          .          .         .52 

FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN  AS  RESTORED  BY  THE  SONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION     .       53 
THE  LONG  ROOM  IN  FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN   .          ...         .    Full  Page      55 

FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN     (From  an  old  print)       ......        58 

THE  OLD  CITY  HALL,  NEW  YORK     (From  an  early  print)         ...       59 

9 


io  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

WASHINGTON'S  ARCH,  NEW  YORK          .         .         .         .         .         .         .61 

ALEXANDER  HAMILTON     (From  the  Houdon  bust} 63 

THE  GRANGE:  ALEXANDER  HAMILTON'S  NEW  YORK  HOME  ...  64 
THE  THREE  SURVIVORS  OF  THE  ORIGINAL  THIRTEEN  TREES  PLANTED 

NEAR  THE  GRANGE  BY  ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  TO    COMMEMORATE   THE 

THIRTEEN  STATES           .....          ....  65 

GEORGE  CLINTON     (From  an  engraving  by  Williams)        ....  66 

GOVERNOR  CLINTON'S  HOUSE  AT  POUGHKEEPSIE,  NEW  YORK          .         .  67 
JOHN  ADAMS     (From  the  Copley  portrait  in  Memorial  Hall,  Harvard  Uni 
versity,  Cambridge,  Massachusetts)     .....     Full  Page  69 

COLONEL  JOHN  SEVIER     (From  Pealeys  portrait  in  the  Historical  Society's 

collection  at  Nashville)      .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .  71 

HOUSE  IN  WHICH  SHAYS  WAS  CAPTURED,  NEAR  PETERSHAM     .          .          .72 

JAMES  MADISON     (From  the  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  at  Bowdoin  College)  73 
JOHN  TYLER,  THE  ELDER     (From  the  portrait  by  James  Worrell  in  the  Vir 
ginia  State  Library  at  Richmond)        .          .                    .          .          .          .74 

WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON     (From  the  painting  by  Rossiter)    .          .  75 

THE  PARLOR  AT  GREEN  WAY  TO-DAY 76 

GREENWAY,  THE  HOME  or  JOHN  TYLER,  THE  ELDER     .          .   Full  Page  77 

THE  OLD  CAPITOL  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND     (From  an  old  print)          .  80 

THE  OLD  SENATE  CHAMBER,  ANNAPOLIS  STATE  HOUSE,  AS  RESTORED    .  81 

THE  GRAVE  OF  JOHN  HANCOCK  IN  THE  OLD  GRANARY  BURYING  GROUND  83 

ABRAHAM  YATES            .         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .  84 

JOHN  LANSING     (From  an  etching  by  Albert  Rosenthal)       ....  85 

AARON  BURR        ........  87 

BURR'S  BIRTHPLACE  AT  NEWARK,  NEW  JERSEY       .....  88 

RICHMOND  HILL 89 

ST.  PAUL'S,  EAST  CHESTER,  NEW  YORK          ...                   .          .  89 
THE  OLD  COURT-HOUSE  AT  POUGHKEEPSIE,  NEW  YORK,  WHERE  THE  CON 
VENTION   WAS   HELD   THAT   ADOPTED   THE   CONSTITUTION     .     Full  Page  91 
JOHN   JAY     (From-  the  Stuart  portrait  in  Bedford  House,   Katonah,   New 

York) 94 

PATRICK  HENRY     (After  the  portrait  by  J.  B.  Longacre)      ....  96 

RED  TOP:   AT  ONE  TIME  THE  HOME  OF  PATRICK  HENRY       ...  97 

THE  GRAVE  OF  SAMUEL  ADAMS,  OLD  GRANARY  BURYING  GROUND          .  98 

DANIEL  BOONE  (After  the  portrait  by  C.  Harding)  .  .  .  100 
THE  BOONE  MONUMENT  AT  BOONESBOROUGH,  KENTUCKY  .  .  .100 

THE  SPRING  NEAR  BOONESBOROUGH,  KENTUCKY,  USED  BY  DANIEL  BOONE  101 
AN  OLD  FERRY  ON  THE  KENTUCKY  RIVER,  SHOWING  THE  SPOT  WHERE 

THE  BOONE  AND  GALLOWAY  GIRLS  WERE  CAPTURED  BY  THE  INDIANS  102 
HARRODSBURG,  KENTUCKY,  SEVENTY- FIVE  YEARS  AGO: 
THE  EAST  SIDE  OF  MAIN  STREET         .         .         .         .         .         .         ,.104 

THE  WEST  SIDE  OF  MAIN  STREET 105 

WASHINGTON'S  RECEPTION  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY 107 

BOUDINOT  MANSION,  ELIZABETH,  NEW  JERSEY        .         .         .         ...  109 

VIEW  OF  THE  OLD  CITY  HALL  IN  WALL  STREET  IN  1789  .  Full  Page  in 
THE  SUB-TREASURY  AT  WALL  AND  NASSAU  STREETS,  NEW  YORK  .  .114 
THE  OLD  VAN  CORTLAND  MANSION,  NEW  YORK,  WHERE  WASHINGTON  WAS 

FREQUENTLY  ENTERTAINED     (From  an  old  print)       .         .         .  115 


ILLUSTRATIONS  n 

THE  VAN  CORTLAND  MANSION,  NEW  YORK,  TO-DAY      .         .         .         .116 

NEW  YORK,  FROM  BEDLOE'S  ISLAND     (From  the  painting  by  Chapman)   •     .      117 
THE  OLD  FEDERAL  HALL  IN  NEW  YORK  WHERE  WASHINGTON  WAS  INAU 
GURATED  (From  the  original  drawing  owned  by  the  New  York  Historical 
Society}  ....  ......      118 

CHANCELLOR  ROBERT  R.  LIVINGSTON  (From  Vanderlyn's  portrait}  .  .119 
THE  DESK  ON  WHICH  WASHINGTON  WROTE  HIS  FIRST  MESSAGE  TO  CONGRESS  1 20 
WASHINGTON'S  PEW  IN  SAINT  PAUL'S  CHAPEL,  NEW  YORK  .  .  .121 

JEFFERSON'S  DESK  WHILE  SECRETARY  OF  STATE 122 

SAINT  PAUL'S  CHAPEL,  NEW  YORK  CITY        ....   Full  Page     123 
THE  FIRST  PRESIDENTIAL  MANSION,  No.  i  CHERRY  STREET,  NEW  YORK     126 
WASHINGTON  TAKING  THE  OATH  OF  OFFICE     (From  the  painting  by  Chap- 
pell}       127 

THE  FIRST  CABINET  (From  the  painting  by  Chappell}  .  .  .  .  1 28 
STEUBEN'S  RUSTIC  HOUSE  AT  ORISKANY,  NEW  YORK  (From  an  old  print}  130 
BARON  VON  STEUBEN'S  GRAVE,  NEAR  ORISKANY,  NEW  YORK  .  -131 

NEW  YORK     (From  the  drawing  by  J '.  Dupree}  .          .          .          .          -132 

THE  OLD  CAPITOL  AT  FRANKFORT,  KENTUCKY 135 

DANIEL  BOONE  WHEN  HE  FIRST  BEHELD  KENTUCKY  .  .  .  -137 
THE  KENTUCKY  RIVER  AT  FRANKFORT  ....  Full  Page  139 

THE  OLD  MONUMENT  TO  DANIEL  BOONE 142 

THE  BOONE  MONUMENT  AFTER  REMODELING  .  .  .  .  -143 
BOONE'S  CAVE,  FOUR  MILES  EAST  OF  HARRODSBURG,  KENTUCKY  .  .  144 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 145 

INDEPENDENCE  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA  (From  an  old  print}  .  .  .147 
INDEPENDENCE  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA  .  .  Full  Page  149 

GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS     (After  the  Sully  portrait) 152 

EDMUND  RANDOLPH 153 

FRANKLIN'S  TOMB,  PHILADELPHIA  .....    Full  Page     155 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  AT  EIGHTY-FOUR  (From  the  portrait  by  C.  W.  Peale}  158 
THE  HOME  OF  ELBRIDGE  GERRY  AT  MARBLEHEAD,  MASSACHUSETTS  .  159 
ELBRIDGE  GERRY  (From  the  portrait  in  Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia}  160 
THOMAS  JEFFERSON  (From  the  crayon  portait  by  Saint-Memin}  .  .  161 

"LIGHT  HORSE  HARRY"  LEE  (From  the  Stuart  portrait)  .  .  .  162 
"LIGHT  HORSE  HARRY"  LEE'S  GRAVE,  DUNGENESS,  GEORGIA  .  .164 

EDGE  HILL,  THE  HOME  OF  EDMUND  RANDOLPH 166 

THE  OLD  HOUSE  IN  HIGH  STREET,  NOW  MARKET  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA, 

OCCUPIED  BY  PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON    ......      167 

THE   ROOM    IN  WHICH  THE   FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL   CONGRESS    MET    IN 

PHILADELPHIA        ........    Full  Page     169 

CHARLES  PINCKNEY 172 

THE  PULPIT  AND  CHANCEL  OF  CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA      .          •     *73 

CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA 174 

INTERIOR  OF  CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA         .          .          .          .  175 

SIDE  VIEW  OF  INDEPENDENCE  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA  .  .  .  .176 
WASHINGTON'S  PEW  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA  .  .  .  179 
MARTHA  WASHINGTON  (From  the  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart)  .  .  .180 
MAJOR-GENERAL  ARTHUR  SAINT  CLAIR  (After  the  portrait  by  C.  W.  Peale)  181 


12  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

ALEXANDER  HAMILTON'S  HOUSE  IN  PHILADELPHIA          .          .         .          .183 

WASHINGTON'S  PROFILE     (Photographed  from  the  original  silhouette)         .      184 
MARTHA  WASHINGTON'S  PROFILE     (From  the  original  silhouette}       .          .185 
Louis  XVI  OF  FRANCE          .........     187 

MARIE  ANTOINETEE  GOING  TO  HER  EXECUTION     (From   the   painting  by 

Flameng} Full  Page     189 

CITIZEN  EDMOND  CHARLES  GENET         .          .          .          .          .          .          .192 

THE  SITE  OF  OLD  FORT  WAYNE,  INDIANA,  TO-DAY        ....      194 

THE  STATUE  OF  "MAD  ANTHONY"  WAYNE  AT  NEWBURGH,  NEW  YORK  195 
RUINS  OF  THE  NATHANAEL  GREENE  MANSION,  NEAR  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA  197 
THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  ELI  WHITNEY,  WESTBORO',  MASSACHUSETTS  .  .198 

ELI  WHITNEY 199 

FISHER  AMES  (From  the  portrait  by  I.  Rogers}  .....  200 
THE  TOMB  OF  GENERAL  NATHANAEL  GREENE,  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA  .  201 

TALLEYRAND 202 

THE  VASSAL  HOUSE  AT  QUINCY,  MASSACHUSETTS  .          .          .    Full  Page     205 
ABIGAIL  ADAMS,  WIFE  OF  JOHN  ADAMS          ......     208 

THE  OLD  HOUSE  OF  WASHINGTON  GREENE,  THE  COLORED  BODY  SERVANT 

OF  GENERAL  GREENE,  ON  GREENE'S  ESTATE  NEAR  SAVANNAH     .          .     209 

THOMAS  MIFFLIN     (After  the  Stuart  portrait} 210 

THE  OLD  MIFFLIN  MANSION,  PHILADELPHIA          .          .         .          .          .211 

THE  "CONSTELLATION"  CAPTURING  THE  FRENCH  FRIGATE  "INSURGENTE" 

(From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff)  .          .          .          .          .          .213 

THE  "ENTERPRISE"  CAPTURING  A  TRIPOLITAN  CORSAIR     (From  the  draw- 
in  g  by  Captain  H  oft}        .......    Full  Page     215 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  A  FRIGATE  BY  THE  "EXPERIMENT"     (From  the  draw 
ing  by  Captain  Hoff)         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .218 

THE  OLD  TOMB  OF  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON         .          .     220 
THE  RESTING  PLACE  OF  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VER 
NON       221 

MARTHA  WASHINGTON     (After  the  Smart  portrait) 222 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  (After  the  Stuart  portrait}  .  .  .  .  -223 
WILLIAM  BAINBRIDGE  (From  the  painting  by  J.  W.  Jarvis}  .  .  .  225 
BIRTHPLACE  OF  STEPHEN  DECATUR  THE  YOUNGER,  AT  BERLIN,  MARYLAND  227 
STEPHEN  DECATUR  THE  YOUNGER  (After  the  Sully  portrait}  .  .  .228 

THE  HARBOR  OF  TRIPOLI 231 

THE  Loss  OF  THE  "PHILADELPHIA"     (From  an  etching  by  J.  F.  Sab  in, 

made  after  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff}     .          .          .          .          .          -232 

DECATUR  TAKING  THE  "PHILADELPHIA"  IN  THE  BAY  OF  TRIPOLI  (From 

the  drawing  by  Freeland  A.  Carter}    .....     Full  Page     235 

DAVID  PORTER     (From  the  etching  by  H.  B.  Hall)    .          .          .          .          -237 

LIEUTENANT  DAVID  PORTER'S  ATTACK  ON  THE  CORSAIRS  IN  THE  HARBOR 

OF  TRIPOLI     (From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff}       .          .          .          .      238 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE  .........     240 

THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  NAPOLEON  AT  CORSICA          .         .         .         .         .241 

HORATIO,  ADMIRAL  LORD  NELSON  (From  the  Hoppner  portrait}  .  .  242 
EDWARD  PREBLE  (From  the  portrait  in  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston}  .  .  .  243 
THE  "CONSTITUTION" —  "OLD  IRONSIDES" —  IN  THE  CHARLESTOWN  NAVY 

YARD,     (From  a  photograph  by  Baldwin  Coolidge}       .          .    Full  Page     245 


ILLUSTRATIONS  13 

ALGIERS,  FROM  THE  SEA        .........  248 

A  TROPICAL  GARDEN  IN  ALGIERS.          .          .         .          .         .         .          .  252 

THE  PORT  or  ALGIERS .         .         .          .  254 

MISTRESS  DOLLY  MADISON    (From  the  portrait  by  Alonzo  ChappelT)    Full  Page  257 

THE  INTERIOR  or  MONTICELLO 260 

MONTICELLO,  THE  HOME    OF    JEFFERSON 261 

THE  SPOT  WHERE  HAMILTON  FELL  AT  WEEHAWKEN       .          .  -263 

THE  DUEL  BETWEEN  BURR  AND  HAMILTON            .....  263 

ALEXANDER  HAMILTON     (From  the  portrait  by  Tntmbull  in  the  N^ew  York 

Chamber  of  Commerce)    .........  266 

ALEXANDER  HAMILTON'S  TOMB  IN  TRINITY  CHURCHYARD,  NEW  YORK   .  267 

NAPOLEON,  EMPEROR  OF  THE  FRENCH   .......  269 

BAS-RELIEF  FROM  THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE  MONUMENT  AT  SAINT  Louis 
EXPOSITION,  SHOWING  MONROE,  LIVINGSTON,    AND  MARBOIS  SIGNING 

THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE  TREATY 270 

DESK  IN  THE  CABILDO  AT  NEW  ORLEANS  ON  WHICH  THE  LOUISIANA  PUR 
CHASE  TREATY  WAS  SIGNED 270 

CELEBRATING   THE   LOUISIANA   PURCHASE,    DECEMBER    20,    1803     (From 

the  painting  by  Thulstrup}         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .272 

THE  ENTRANCE  TO  MONTICELLO   .          .          .         .         .         .         .          -273 

THE  CITY  OF  WASHINGTON  ABOUT  1830 274 

THE  FIRST  COURT-HOUSE  IN  SAINT  Louis  COUNTY,  MISSOURI        .         .  276 
THE  EMIGRANT     (From  the  drawing  by  Freeland  A.  Carter}        .          .          -277 
WILLIAM  CLARK,  MERIWETHER  LEWIS,  THE  TRAIL-MAKERS  TO  THE  FAR 

NORTHWEST     (From  the  portraits  by  Charles  Wilson  Peale)            .          .  278 
A  MOUNTAIN  ROAD  THROUGH  OREGON           .         .         .         .         .         .279 

THE  LEWIS  AND  CLARK  EXPOSITION  AT  PORTLAND,  OREGON     Full  Page  281 

GRAND  VIEW  CANON,  WASHINGTON 284 

A  LOG  RAFT  ON  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER         ......  285 

SACAJAWEA,  THE  BIRD  WOMAN 286 

PIERWEE  FALLS,  WASHINGTON       ........  287 

MOUNT  RAINIER,  FROM  SEATTLE    ...                  ....  288 

THE  JUMEL  MANSION,  WEST  1620  STREET,  NEW  YORK           .          .          .  290 

JOHN  MARSHALL'S  HOUSE,  RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA     .....  291 

ANDREW  JACKSON     (From  the  portrait  by  Jaruis) 292 

EARLY  NEW  ORLEANS            .........  293 

CHIEF  JUSTICE  JOHN  MARSHALL     (From  an  old  miniature)       .          .          .  294 

LUTHER  MARTIN 295 

THE  "CLERMONT"  AT  ALBANY,  FROM  THE  REPLICA  MADE  FOR  THE  CEN 
TENNIAL  CELEBRATION  IN  igog        .                   ...    Full  Page  297 

BURR'S  PRISON  IN  RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA         ....                  .  300 

DANNER'S  HOTEL,  NEW  YORK,  IN  WHICH  BURR  DIED    ....  301 

THE  TOMB  OF  AARON  BURR,  PRINCETON,  NEW  JERSEY          .         .         .  302 

ROBERT  FULTON     (From  the  portrait  by  Benjamin  West}    ....  303 

ROBERT  R.  LIVINGSTON         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  304 

THE  TOMB  OF  ROBERT  FULTON  IN  TRINITY  CHURCHYARD,  NEW  YORK        .  305 

THE  OLDEST  STEAMBOAT  IN  THE  WORLD  IN  COMMISSION        .         .         .  360 

IMPRESSING  AMERICAN  SEAMEN  FROM  THE  "CHESAPEAKE"      .         .         .  308 


i4  VALOR  &  VICTORY 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  HENRY  CLAY,  HANOVER  COUNTY,  VIRGINIA  .  .  309 
JOHN  C.  CALHOUN  (From  the  drawing  by  J.  B.  Longacre)  .  .  .310 
HENRY  CLAY  ....  311 

CHICAGO  IN  1830:  OLD  FORT  DEARBORN       ....    Full  Page    313 

GENERAL  SIR  ISAAC  BROCK 316 

GENERAL  WILLIAM  HULL      .  .     317 

HULL'S  SURRENDER  TO  BROCK  AT  DETROIT     (From  the  drawing  by  H.  L. 

Stephens)         .  .  .      318 

DETROIT  AT  AN  EARLY  DAY    (From  an  engraving)  .          .          .          .          .319 

MAJOR-GENERAL  HENRY  DEARBORN 321 

FORT  DEARBORN,  CHICAGO    .          .          .          .         .          .         .          .          .322 

BAS-RELIEF  FROM  THE  TABLET  MARKING  THE  SITE  OF  OLD  FORT  DEAR 
BORN,  CHICAGO       .         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -323 

THE  BATTLE  OF  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS  .          .         .         .         .         .          .324 

THE  "ESSEX"  CAPTURING  THE  BRITISH  SHIP  "ALERT"     (From  the  drawing 

by  Captain  H  off)      ........    Full  Page     325 

GENERAL  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER     (From  a  miniature   by   C.  Fraser)     327 
SITE  OF  THE  REDAN  BATTERY  AT  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS          .          .          -328 
THE  SPOT  WHERE  BROCK  FELL  AT  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS        .          .          -328 
SIR  ISAAC  BROCK'S  MONUMENT  AT  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS        .          .          .329 
THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE  .         .         .         .         .         .         -331 

BLACK  PARTRIDGE  SAVING  MRS.  HELM  IN  THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE     332 
JACOB  JONES     (From  Peale's  portrait)     .          .          .          .          .      •    .          .      333 

DAVID  PORTER     (From  Wood's  portrait)  ......     334 

THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  COOPER,  BURLINGTON,  NE\V  JERSEY      .          .          .     335 

THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  JAMES  LAWRENCE 335 

JAMES  LAWRENCE     (From  Stuart's  portrait)      ......     336 

THE  "CHESAPEAKE"  AND  "SHANNON"     (From  an  old  print)    .          .          .     336 
THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  LAWRENCE     (From  the  painting  by  Chap  pell)          .     337 
THE  TOMB  OF  LAWRENCE,  TRINITY  CHURCHYARD,  NEW  YORK        .          .     338 
ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  TIPPECANOE  ....     Full  Page    339 

THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON,  BERKELEY,  VIRGINIA         .     342 
GENERAL  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON    .          .          .          .          .          .          -343 

THE    ROCK   ON   THE    BATTLEFIELD    OF    TIPPECANOE    FROM    WHICH    THE 

PROPHET  SANG  OF  AMERICAN  DEFEAT     ......     344 

TECUMSEH'S  TRAIL  ALONG  THE  WABASH  RIVER 345 

BURIAL  PLACE  OF  THE  SOLDIERS  WHO  FELL  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE  346 
THE  DEATH  OF  TECUMSEH  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THAMES,  ONTARIO  .  347 
NAPOLEON  IN  1814  ..........  348 

JOSEPHINE,  EMPRESS  OF  THE  FRENCH 349 

BIRTHPLACE  OF  JOSEPHINE,  ISLAND  OF  MARTINIQUE        ....     349 

NAPOLEON'S  FAREWELL  TO  JOSEPHINE,  1809  ......     350 

NAPOLEON'S  FAREWELL  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU   .  .          .          .          -352 

NAPOLEON  SIGNING  HIS  ABDICATION,  AUGUST  n,  1814    ....     353 

THE  BATTLE  OF  LUNDY'S  LANE  (From  the  painting  by  Chappell)  Full  Page  355 
MAJOR-GENERAL  WINFIELD  SCOTT  (From  the  portrait  by  Charles  Ingham)  358 
JACOB  BROWN  (From  the  portrait  by  J.  W.  Jarvis)  .  .  .  -361 

WILLIAM  EUSTIS,  SECRETARY  OF  WAR     (From  the  portrait  by  J.  N.  Daniels)     362 


ILLUSTRATIONS  15 

SOLDIERS'  MONUMENT  ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  LUNDY'S   LANE,  ONTARIO  365 

JAMES  MONROE     (From  Vanderlyn's  portrait)  ......  367 

RELICS  OF  THE  BRIDGE  AT  THE  FOOT  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AVENUE,  WASHING 
TON,  BURNED  BY  THE  BRITISH        .......  368 

THE  BATTLEFIELD  AT  BLADENSBURG,  MARYLAND  .         .         .         -369 

THE  BRITISH  IN  THE  STREETS  OF  WASHINGTON     (From  an  old  print)        .  370 

SMOOT  HOUSE,  WHERE  DOLLY  MADISON  RESTED  OVERNIGHT  .  .  371 
RUTHVEN  LODGE,  WHERE  DOLLY  MADISON  is  BELIEVED  TO  HAVE  STAYED 

DURING    THE    BRITISH    OCCUPATION   OF    WASHINGTON  .      Full  Page      373 

THE  OLD  CANNON  IN  BALTIMORE  TO-DAY 376 

THE  BATTLE  MONUMENT  AT  BALTIMORE,  ERECTED  IN  1815     .          .          .     377 

THE  RUINED  CAPITOL  IN  1815 378 

THE  OLD  PATENT  OFFICE  AT  WASHINGTON     (From  a  pen  drawing)  .     379 

THE  RIGHT  HONORABLE  SIR  GEORGE  COCKBURN     (From  the  portrait  by 

Jean  Jacques  Halls)          .......  .380 

THE  DEATH  OF  GENERAL  Ross     (From  the  painting  by  Chap  pell)  .     381 

FRANCIS  SCOTT  KEY     .         .  .     382 

FORT  MCHENRY,  BALTIMORE          .  .  .     382 

THOMAS  MACDONOUGH     (From  the  portrait  by  J.  W.  Jarvis)      .          .          .     383 
MACDONOUGH'S  VICTORY  ON  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN,  FOUGHT  IN  PLATTSBURG  BAY, 

SEPTEMB-ER  n,  1814     (From  the  painting  by  J.  O.  Davidson)       .        384-385 
PLATTSBURG  BY  MOONLIGHT  IN  WINTER,  FROM  CUMBERLAND  BAY  .          .     386 
CUMBERLAND  BAY,  THE  SCENE  OF  THE  FIGHTING  AT  PLATTSBURG    .         .387 
THE  "OCTAGON"  HOUSE,  OCCUPIED  BY  PRESIDENT  MADISON  AFTER  THE 

DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  WHITE  HOUSE  IN  1814  .          .    Full  Page    389 

RESTING-PLACE  ON  THE  ISLE  SAINT  MICHEL  OF  THE  SOLDIERS  AND  MA 
RINES  KILLED  AT  PLATTSBURG  BAY          .          .          .          .  .     392 

THE  BATTLE  OF  PLATTSBURG  BAY     (From  the  painting  by  Chap  pell)          .     393 

NEW  ORLEANS .     394 

GENERAL  ANDREW  JACKSON     (From  Vanderlyn's  portrait)  .          .     395 

JACKSON  AT  PENSACOLA        ...  .     396 

MONUMENT  ON  THE  SPOT  OF  JACKSON'S  BIRTH      .  .     397 

COUNCIL  OAK:    WEATHERFORD'S  HEADQUARTERS 398 

VIEW  NEAR  THE  TOE  OF  HORSE-SHOE  BEND  ON  THE  TALLAPOO3A         .     399 

THE  HICKORY  GROUND .     400 

THE  MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MIMMS  (From  the  painting  by  Chap  pell)  .  .401 
PLANTATION  SCENE  NEAR  THE  HICKORY  GROUND  ....  402 

THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS     (From  the  painting  by  O.  M.  Carter) 

Full  Page  405 

GENERAL  ZEBULON  MONTGOMERY  PIKE 408 

SUNRISE  FROM  THE  SUMMIT  OF  PIKE'S  PEAK.          .          .          .          .          .410 

JAMES  MADISON     (From  a  drawing  by  James  Longacre)    .          .          .          .  .   411 

THE  OLD  CAPITOL  BUILDING,  HARTFORD        ....    Full  Page    413 

MAJOR-GENERAL  SIR  EDWARD  PAKENHAM 416 

UNFINISHED  MONUMENT  TO  GENERAL  JACKSON  AT  NEW  ORLEANS  .     418 

THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS  (From  the  painting  by  17.  Momberger)  .  419 
THE  LIVE  OAK  TREES  UNDER  WHICH  PAKENHAM  DIED  .  .  .  420 
THE  SPOT  WHERE  JACKSON  AND  HIS  STAFF  STOOD  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF 

NEW  ORLEANS,  NOW  IN  THE  CHALMETTE  NATIONAL  CEMETERY         .     422 


16  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

GHENT     (From  the  painting  by  F.  Nash)          .          .                   ...  423 

THE  CAIRN  AT  QUINCY,  MASSACHUSETTS 424 

NAPOLEON  IN  1815        ..........  425 

NAPOLEON  AT  WATERLOO       .......    Full  Page  427 

NAPOLEON  ON  BOARD  THE  BRITISH  FRIGATE  "  BELLEROPHON"    Full  Page  431 

NAPOLEON'S  PRISON  AT  SAINT  HELENA 434 

NAPOLEON'S  BURIAL  PLACE  AT  SAINT  HELENA       .....  436 

COMMODORE  ISAAC  HULL     (From  the  portrait  by  Stuart)    ....  438 

THE  "CONSTITUTION"  AT  THE  CHARLESTOWN  NAVY  YARD     .          .          .  440 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  THE  "GUERRIERE"  BY  THE  "CONSTITUTION"     Full  Page  443 

THE  HARBOR  AT  VALPARAISO  IN  OLDEN  DAYS     (From  an  eicJiing)  .         .  446 

IN  THE  HARBOR  or  VALPARAISO  TO-DAY 447 

CAPTAIN  STEPHEN  DECATUR     (From  the  painting  by  Chappell)  .          .          .  448 

THE  FRIGATE  "UNITED  STATES" 450 

A  PICTURESQUE  STREET  IN  OLD  VALPARAISO          .          .          .          .          -451 

THE  STATUE  TO  PERRY  AT  NEWPORT,  RHODE  ISLAND    .          .          .          -454 

MANSION  AND  STATUE  OF  PERRY  AT  NEWPORT,  RHODE  ISLAND        .          .  455 

OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY     (From  the  portrait  by  J.  W.  Jarvis)     .          .          .  456 
THE  SECOND  VIEW  OF  PERRY'S  VICTORY  ON  LAKE  ERIE        .          .          -457 
BATTLE    BETWEEN    THE    "UNITED    STATES"    AND    THE    "MACEDONIAN" 

(From  the  painting  by  Chappell)         .          .    '       .          .          .    Full  Page  459 
ISAAC  CHAUNCEY     (From  the  portrait  by  J.  Wood)     .          .          .          .          .461 

SACKETT'S  HARBOR,  NEW  YORK     .         .          .          .         .          .          ...  462 

CAPTAIN  DAVID  PORTER     (From  the  painting  by  Chappell)         .          .          .  464 

THE  OLD  "CONSTELLATION"  AT  NEWPORT,  RHODE  ISLAND        .          .      .  465 
THE  "ESSEX"  AND  HER  PRIZES  SAILING  OUT  OF  THE  BAY  OF  TUMBEZ  (From 

the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff)    ........  466 

THE   "ESSEX"   AND   HER   PRIZES   AT    NOOKAHEEVAH,    WASHINGTON    IS 
LANDS     (From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff)       .          .          .          ,          -467 
THE  "ESSEX"  OFFERING  BATTLE  TO  THE  "PHCEBE"  IN  THE  HARBOR  OF 

VALPARAISO     (From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff)      .          .          .          .  468 

THE  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  "ESSEX"  AND  THE  "PHCEBE"  AND  "CHERUB" 

(From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff)            ......  469 

CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART 470 

ADMIRAL  SIR  GEORGE  COLLIER 47 ! 

DECATUR  AND  THE  DEY  OF  ALGIERS,  JUNE,  1815   .          .          .          .          .  463 

PANORAMA  OF  ALGIERS Full  Page  475 

IN  THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  ALGIERS 478 

A  COURTYARD  IN  ALGIERS    .........  479 

A  STREET  IN  TUNIS,  AFRICA          ....                   ,         .         .  482 

THE  AMERICAN  SQUADRON  IN  1824        .          .          .                   .     Full  Page  485 

THE  HOUSE  IN  WHICH  DECATUR  DIED  IN  WASHINGTON          .          .  488 
THE  HOUSE  AT  SECOND  AND  B  STREETS,  WASHINGTON,  WHERE  THE  ONLY 

ARMED  RESISTANCE  WAS  MADE  TO  BRITISH  INVASION      .          .          .  489 

DOLLY  MADISON  ...........  490 

AN  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  MONTPELIER 492 

MONTPELIER,  VIRGINIA,  THE  HOME  OF  MADISON     .          .         .    Full  Page  493 

THE  BURIAL  PLACE  OF  JAMES  MADISON        ......  495 

IN  THE  GROUNDS  AT  MONTPELIER ,  496 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


VALOR    &   VICTORY 


BOOK   I 

CHAPTER  I 
TAMING    THE    BEAST 

THERE  is  nothing  in  human  experience  more 
terrifying  than  the  anger  of  a  mob.  Storm  by  sea 
or  land,  fire,  flood,  volcanic  eruption,  or  an  earth 
quake  may  make  the  strong  man  tremble;,  but  before  the 
awful  phenomena  of 
nature  he  is  soothed 
by  a  sublime  sensa 
tion  that  he  is  in  the 
presence  of  the  Mas 
ter  that  directs.  He 
is  consoled  and  pre 
pared  by  emotion  for 
the  final  catastrophe. 
The  heavens  and  the 
earth  declare  his  own 
small  share  in  the 
scheme  of  things. 
He  has  no  part  in 
what  he  beholds;  he 
is  merely  a  spectator 
in  whom  the  ele 
ments  have  no  con 
cern.  He  can  neither  , 

19  JAMES  MADISON     (Alter  the  Stuart  portrait} 


20 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


divert  nor  avert  the  event;    he  is  released 
\  from  the  responsibility  of  his  strength.     He 
^  is  subdued,  he  submits,  and  is  reconciled 
1  to  the  inevitable.     Upheld  at  the  last  by 
that    faith   which    is    the    first    and    final 
instinct  of  the  soul,  he  says,  "Thy  will 
be  done,"  and  waits. 

It    is    not    so    when    mob    angei 
threatens.  In  the  angry 
\  spirit  of  massed  men 
is  humanity  distorted; 
there  is  loss  of  reason, 
,  madness,  a  cataclysm 
I  of  passion,  a  touch  of 
the    beast.     But   be- 
I  cause  this  manifesta- 
f  tion  is  still  human,  the 
strong    man,    being 
also  human,  is  in- 
—    volved  in  a  respon- 
f  sibility  he  cannot  shirk. 
He    is    sensible    of   the 
morality  involved.    Con 
tributory  guilt  is  implied, 
because    he    is   one   of 
them.     There  is  a  call  of 
conscience  to  combat  the 
spirit  of  the  beast  con 
jured  up  in  his  fellows. 
However    helpless     and 
hopeless  the  fight   may 
seem  to  be,  he  cannot  let 
it    go    unf ought.       The 
last     sacrifice    is 


TAMING  THE   BEAST 


21 


demanded.  With  a  known  and  measured  fear,  he  confronts 
his  duty,  having  a  courage  beyond  knowledge  and  beyond 
measurement. 

George  Washington,  our  greatest  hero,  was  brought 
face  to  face  with  the  spirit  of  the  beast,  in  the  camp  at 
Newburgh,  in  March, 
1783.  Cornwallis  had 
surrendered;  Wayne  had 
driven  the  British  from 
the  Carolinas;  Carleton 
lay  idle  in  New  York;  a 
few  English  troops  held 
western  outposts.  Hostil 
ities  had  ceased ;  Franklin, 
Jay,  Laurens,  and  John 
Adams  had  concluded  a 
treaty  of  peace  at  Paris, 
though  the  news  of  it  had 
not  yet  reached  America. 
Soldiers  who  had  fought 
the  fight  and  won  it  were 
encamped  at  Newburgh 
on  the  Hudson.  They  had 
not  only  risked  their  lives 
for  the  cause  of  indepen 
dence,  but  had  impover 
ished  themselves.  Many 
had  been  with  the  troops 
for  seven  years  on  a  pit 
tance,  leaving  farms  and 
their  other  affairs  to  thrive  as  best  they  might.  When  now 
they  had  finished  their  work,  and  the  need  of  their  services 
had  passed,  they  could  not  get  their  pay  from  Congress. 

It  is  not  in  the  nature  of  men  feeling  themselves  aggrieved 


WASHINGTON  (After the Houdon Bust):  SAID 

BY  GILBERT  STUART  TO  BE  A  BETTER 

LIKENESS  THAN  His  OWN  CANVAS 


22 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


to  inquire  into  the  causes  of  injustice.  The  fact  was  ob 
vious  to  the  thoughtful  that  Congress  could  not  pay,  but 
this  offered  inadequate  palliation  of  the  failure  to  reim 
burse  the  army.  The  soldiers  at  Newburgh,  officers  and  men 
alike,  did  not  stop  to  reflect  that  Congress  was  without 
funds,  and  without  prospect  of  raising  them.  Under  the 


JAY,    ADAMS,    FRANKLIN,    LAURENS,    AND    FRANKLIN'S    GRANDSON,    WILLIAM 

FRANKLIN:     THE  AMERICAN  PEACE  COMMISSION    (A/ter 

the  unfinished  painting  by  Benjamin  West) 

Articles  of  Confederation  that  body  had  no  power  to  levy 
taxes  or  collect  imposts.  In  1781  Congress  petitioned  the 
several  States  for  authority  to  collect  five  per  cent  duties; 
but  this,  after  much  delay  and  debate,  was  denied  them. 
Taxes  that  had  been  imposed  upon  the  several  States  from 
time  to  time,  were  not  paid;  debts  on  which  interest, could 
not  be  met  were  accumulating.  Continental  money  was 
valueless,  foreign  credit  was  dead,  and  Congress  was  in  a 
state  of  honest  despair. 

Nevertheless,  the  army  was  angry  because  pay  was  not 
forthcoming.     Men  muttered  and  threatened.     Already,  in 


TAMING  THE   BEAST 


the  years  of  the  war,  there  had  been  mutinies,  suppressed 
with  difficulty  and  at  great  risk  of  dismembering  the  entire 
army.  To  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  soldiers  was  now  added 
agitation  from  other  creditors,  who  believed  that  if  Con 
gress  were  suf 
ficiently  threat 
ened  it  would 
find  a  way  to 
raise  more  funds. 
It  needed 
only  an  act  of 
leadership  to 
focus  and  direct 
this  dangerous 
disaffection. 
That  act  came 
into  being  on 
March  1 1.  Gen 
eral  Gates,  lately 
returned  to  the 
army  from  the 
obscurity  into 
which  his  defeat 
at  Camden  had 

thrust        him  HORATIO  GATES     (From  the  contemporary  portrait} 

found  conditions  ripe  for  intrigue,  and  immediately  he  set 
about  his  favorite  occupation.  Major  Armstrong,  of  his 
staff,  wrote  an  inflammatory  appeal  to  the  passions  of 
the  men,  which  Colonel  Barber,  also  of  the  staff,  caused 
to  be  distributed  among  them.  History  has  absolved  Arm 
strong  from  any  evil  intentions.  He  acted  under  a  mistaken 
belief  that  a  bold  display  of  spirit  on  the  part  of  the  army 
would  procure  the  end  desired  by  all.  He  came  to  see  and 
confess  his  error.  But  Gates  cannot  be  similarly  cleared. 


24  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

The  circular,  well  written,  stirred  the  troops  to  instant 
fury.  When  distributed,  they  gathered  in  excited  groups, 
reading  it  to  one  another  and  declaiming  over  it.  Mutiny, 
growing  fast,  showed  its  head.  Reason  disappeared, 
supplanted  by  the  spirit  of  the  beast. 

One  such  group  surrounded  Nicholas  Snell  on  the  day 
when  the  address  to  the  troops  was  circulated  in  camp. 
Snell  had  only  recently  joined  the  army,  coming  from  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York.  He  was  a  round,  bland  young 
man,  with  a  sleek  head  settled  well  back  upon  his  neck, 
and  with  a  something  in  his  speech,  gesture,  and  gait  sug 
gestive  of  a  machine  well  oiled.  Taking  part  from  the 
first  in  the  petty  politics  of  the  camp,  he  was  now  hailed 
as  a  leader  in  the  new  movement. 

As  he  stood  among  the  surrounding  soldiers  he  waved 
in  his  hand  a  copy  of  the  address,  from  which  he  read,  while 
interjecting  comments  to  encourage  opinion  in  others. 
"'My  friends,"  he  cried,  "' after  seven  long  years 
your  suffering  courage  has  conducted  the  United  States 
of  America  through  a  doubtful  and  bloody  war;  and 
peace  returns  to  bless  — whom?"  He  paused  to  give 
the  words  better  effect.  There  was  a  clatter  of  comment 
from  his  hearers,  which  he  suppressed  with  a  deprecatory 
gesture.  '"A  country  willing  to  redress  your  wrongs, 
cherish  your  worth,  and  reward  your  services  ?'"  he  went  on, 
reading.  "'Or  is  it  rather  a  country  that  tramples  on  your 
rights,  disdains  your  cries,  and  insults  your  distresses?" 

He  was  interrupted  by  an  uproar.  "That's  right!" 
"They  treat  us  like  cattle!"  "Congress  seems  to  forget 
that  we  are  men!"  "By  God,  we  '11  show  them  we  are 
men!"  "My  wife  has  been  plowing  the  field  at  home  these 
three  years  while  I  have  been  to  the  war,  and  now  I  cannot 
get  enough  money  for  my  time  to  take  me  home  to  the 
spring  planting." 


TAMING  THE   BEAST  25 

"But  wait  until  you  hear  the  rest  of  this  before  you  go 
wild!"  cried  the  one  who  was  reading  it,  slowly  reducing 
the  others  to  silence.  "Listen  to  this.  We  must  not  be 
too  hasty;  we  must  pause  to  reflect,  and  to  work  in  unison. 
'If  such  be  your  treatment  while  the  swords  you  wear  are 
necessary  for  the  defense  of  America,  what  have  you  to 
expect  when  those  very  swords,  the  instruments  and  com 
panions  of  your  glory,  shall  be  taken  from  your  sides,  and 
no  mark  of  military  distinction  left  but  your  wants,  infirm 
ities,  and  scars! " 

"By  Heaven,  we'll  not  submit  to  it!"  "We'll  shake 
our  swords  under  the  noses  of  Congress  itself."  "We'll 
turn  them  into  the  gutter!"  "If  they  don't  give  us  our 
money,  we  '11  help  ourselves." 

In  the  midst  of  the  clamor  a  young  man  who  had  taken 
no  part  until  now  thrust  himself  through  the  crowd  to  the 
side  of  the  one  with  the  circular.  He  was  a  tall,  slender 
lad,  with  blue  eyes  and  fair  hair.  His  face  was  at  once 
the  face  of  a  dreamer  and  of  a  strong  man.  "How  will 
you  help  yourselves  to  what  they  have  not  got?"  he  cried, 
with  angry  disgust.  "You  talk  like  a  pack  of  fools!" 

A  storm  of  resentment  burst  about  the  speaker.  "We 
shall  be  fools  if  we  listen  to  your  talk,  Sylvester  Stevens!" 
cried  one.  "They  have  gold  enough  to  live  in  fine  houses 
and  ride  in  coaches,"  growled  another.  "They  could  pay 
us  if  they  chose." 

"That  they  cannot,"  retorted  Sylvester  Stevens.  "I  '11 
tell  you  where  the  fault  is  for  your  not  getting  your  money. 
It  is  not  with  Congress,  but  with  the  people;  with  your  old 
neighbors  at  home,  who  will  neither  permit  Congress  to 
collect  imposts  nor  pay  the  taxes  Congress  requests  them  to 
pay.  If  Congress  had  the  power  to  enforce  the  collection  of 
taxes,  you  would  get  your  money  fast  enough;  for  your  old 
neighbors  are  well  able  to  pay  it.  They  believe  that  the 


26 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


war  you  have  fought  has  abolished  taxes  and  government 
forever.  And  now  you  would  add  your  anarchy  to  theirs, 
at  the  risk  of  undoing  all  you  have  done." 

" Leave  our  neighbors  out  of  your  talk,  young  Stevens," 
snarled  a  soldier,  thrusting  a  burly  fist  under  his  nose.  "If 
they  do  not  choose  to  pay  their  taxes,  it  is  because  they  do 
not  believe  Congress  is  fit  to  receive  them." 

"Let  this  answer  our  friend  Stevens,"  interposed  Snell, 
suppressing  fur-  ^^"  'jjBj^fife^ther  wrangling 
with  a  ges-^^j|  ^^^  |^^^ture  °f  tne 

hand  ^1  ;  ^  that  held 


lVTr>VrTTMT?VTT      AT      T  .TVTXmCTnXT     TVT  A 


FlTRTJV        'M'FW 


TAMING  THE   BEAST 


27 


the  address.  "'If  you  have  sense  enough  to  discover  and 
spirit  enough  to  oppose  tyranny,  whatever  garb  it  may 
assume,  awake  to  your  situation.  If  the  present,  moment 
be  lost,  your  threats  hereafter  will  be  as  empty  as  your 
entreaties  are  now.  Appeal  from  justice  to  the  fears  of 
government,  and  suspect  the  man  who  would  advise  longer 
forbearance. ' '  Washington  was  the  man  aimed  at  in  the 
last  sentence,  but  as  the  speaker  concluded  he  cast  a  sig 
nificant  look  upon  Stevens,  and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 
"Suspect  me,  then,"  cried  Stevens,  "for  I  still  assert 
that  you  will  gain  more  by  forbearance  than  by  rashness. 
You  know  what  jealous  fear  the  country  has  of  the  army. 
What  will  the  people  think  when  you  rise  in  sedition  at  the 
call  of  an  unsigned  incendiary  paper  like  this  one?  How 
will  they  regard  your  scheme  to  wield  your  swords  against 
Congress  and  in  your  own  selfish  behalf?  You  speak  of 

tyranny.    ^ -^^^    If  you  have  sense  enough 

to  o-x^  \       pose  tyranny  in 

whatever 


LIVINGSTON  MANOR,  DOBBS'  FERRY, 
NEW  YORK 


28  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

garb  it  may  assume,  oppose  it  in  its  present  garb;  for 
how  can  you  know  you  are  not  being  made  dupes  in  a  plot 
to  set  up  a  ruler  over  the  land  which  you  have  just  ridded 
of  one?" 

Silence  fell  for  a  moment  on  the  group.  It  was  broken 
by  a  soldier  of  more  serious  mind  than  his  comrades,  who 
had  taken  little  part  in  what  had  gone  on  before.  "  Stevens 
has  the  right  of  it,"  he  said.  "We  all  know  that  this  is 
not  the  first  time  that  there  has  been  agitation  to  bring 
George  Washington  to  a  throne  in  the  United  States,  for 
no  one  denies  that  Colonel  Louis  Nicola  of  the  Pennsylvania 
line,  being  a  foreigner,  came  forward  with  a  proposal  to 
that  end,  making  it  directly  to  Washington  himself  - 

" Washington !"  interjected  Stevens,  angrily.  "It  is  not 
Washington  we  have  to  fear  in  this  matter,  for  we  all  know 
how  odious  the  proposal  was  to  him.  There  is  another 
whose  plots  have  already  done  mischief  enough  in  the  army 
and  out  of  it,  who  has  lately  come  back  to  us  out  of  an  ob 
scurity  he  well  earned  at  Camden. " 

"Have  a  care  of  your  words,  Stevens!"  said  Snell,  softly. 
"Your  insinuations  will  not  pass  with  us  for  arguments, 
and  are  like  to  get  you  into  mischief." 

"I  make  no  insinuations,  for  I  was  about  to  speak 
frankly  of  the  matter,  and  in  a  way  that  may  not  be  to  your 
liking,  Snell,"  rejoined  Sylvester.  "Do  you  know  who  it 
was  that  circulated  this  address  about  camp,  comrades? 
It  was  Colonel  Barber.  And  do  you  know  who  it  was  that 
wrote  it  ?  It  was  Major  Armstrong.  Does  it  mean  nothing 
to  you  that  these  two  men  are  members  of  the  staff  of  General 
Gates,  second  in  command  of  the  army,  who  has  lately 
come  back  to  it,  after  the  fighting  is  done,  to  see  what  he 
can  accomplish  by  intriguing, —  an  occupation  upon  which 
he  has  been  busily  engaged  these  seven  years  ?" 

There  was  an  instant  storm  of  protest  and  indignation. 


TAMING  THE  BEAST  31 

"  You  would  do  well  to  speak  of  your  superiors  with  respect, " 
said  Snell.  "It  sounds  ill  enough  for  a  soldier  to  make 
charges  against  the  general  who  captured  a  British  army." 

"As  for  the  general  who  captured  Burgoyne, "  returned 
Sylvester,  hotly,  "I  speak  not  of  him;  for  he  was  in  fact 
General  Schuyler,  the  victim  of  this  same  Gates,  who  came 
upon  the  scene  to  gather  the  fruits  of  the  other's  patient 
preparation  and  skill  — and  would  have  let  them  slip  at 
the  last,  if  it  had  not  been  for  others  under  him.  And  as 
for  you,  Snell,"  he  went  on,  "it  is  well  known  to  me,  at 
least,  that  you  are  one  of  those  who  would  seek  benefit  in 
any  outcome  there  might  be  to  this  intrigue,  and  that  you 
are  close  to  Gates  himself,  having  a  facility  in  underhand 
work  that  is  much  to  his  liking. " 

"Have  a  care  of  your  language,  young  Stevens,  or,  by 
the  Eternal,  I  will  hale  you  to  judgment  for  it. "  Snell  spoke 
softly,  but  with  an  ugly  glitter  in  his  eyes. 

"Have  me  before  any  judgment  you  see  fit,  and  I  shall 
tell  what  I  have  told  here,  either  about  yourself,  your  fellow- 
conspirators,  or  this  plot  to  ruin  the  country,"  retorted  the 
impetuous  young  man. 

"Come,  young  Stevens,"  soothed  the  quiet  man  who 
had  recently  supported  Sylvester's  contention,  and  to  whom 
the  others  somewhat  deferred.  "Let  not  your  hot  Southern 
blood  get  the  better  of  your  head,  for  you  gain  nothing  by 
anger,  and  are  like  to  lose  much.  There  has  been  much 
talk  here,"  he  went  on,  turning  to  the  others;  "but  for  my 
part,  I  cannot  see  whither  it  leads,  or  what  the  remedy  may 
be  for  the  ills  we  are  all  conscious  of." 

"This  paper  proposes  the  remedy,  or,  at  least,  proposes 
steps  leading  toward  it,"  said  Snell,  fluttering  the  address 
again,  evidently  willing  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  group 
from  Sylvester  Stevens.  "We  are  called  by  this  to  meet 
to-morrow  to  discuss  our  grievances,  and  hit  upon  some 


32  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

plans  of  relieving  them.  We  have  only  to  gather  and  stand 
together,  I  take  it,  in  order  to  bring  Congress  to  some  terms.' ' 
"I  am  ready  for  whatever  may  be  proposed,"  cried  the 
soldier  who  had  complained  that  his  wife  was  obliged 
to  plow  the  fields  at  home.  "I  care  not  what  comes 
of  this,  so  long  as  I  get  money  to  take  back  with  me." 


INTERIOR  OF  WASHINGTON'S  HEADQUARTERS  AT  NEWBURGH 

"Was  it  for  money,  then,  that  you  came  to  the  war?" 
sneered  Sylvester  Stevens,  losing  his  just  judgment  in  the 
heat  of  his  anger. 

"Man,"  retorted  the  soldier-farmer,  bristling,  "have 
you  a  wife  at  home,  and  children  coming  on?" 

"Friend,  I  spoke  too  hotly,  and  am  sorry  for  it,"  said 
Stevens,  making  instant  amends. 

"Of  course,  Sylvester  Stevens  asks  no  money  for  what 
he  has  done  for  his  country,"  said  Snell,  with  fine  sarcasm. 

"I  make  no  virtue  of  it,  if  I  have  taken  no  pay, "  returned 
Sylvester.  "What  I  said  to  this  man  I  am  sorry  for,  as  I 
have  told  him." 


TAMING  THE   BEAST  33 

"You  tell  us  you  have  taken  no  gold?"  cried  Snell, 
lifting  an  eyebrow. 

"I  have  taken  nothing." 

"No  American  gold,  perhaps,"  with  an  insinuating  leer. 

The  imputation  that  he  was  in  the  pay  of  the  British, 
clearly  intended  by  Snell,  was  more  than  Sylvester  could 
endure.  Without  replying  by  word  of  mouth,  he  leapt  upon 


LOOKING  ACROSS  THE  HUDSON  RIVER  AT  NEWBURGH 

Snell  like  a  panther,  bearing  him  to  the  ground  with  fingers 
clasped  about  his  throat.  In  an  instant  the  others  were 
upon  his  back,  beating  him,  striving  to  tear  him  loose  from 
the  grip  in  which  he  held  his  prostrate  foe.  Strike  and 
pull  as  they  would,  he  still  held  fast.  What  the  outcome 
might  have  been  cannot  be  told,  for  the  face  of  Snell  was 
fast  turning  purple  when  an  officer,  attracted  by  the  outcry, 
broke  in  upon  the  fight  and  put  an  end  to  it. 

They  bore  Sylvester  to  the  guard-house,  bleeding  and 
half-conscious,  but  struggling  still  to  get  back  to  his  enemy; 
and  the  group  scattered. 


34 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


This  was  the  spirit  of  the  beast  that  Washington  con 
fronted  in  the  camp  at  Newburgh  in  March,  1783.  He 
met  it  boldly,  but  with  the  tact  which  never  failed  him. 
Learning  of  the  address,  when  excitement  about  the  camp 
was  at  its  height  and  all  manner  of  mischief  was  brewing, 
he  issued  general  orders,  calling  a  meeting  of  officers  and 
men  for  a  future  day,  with  General  Gates  to  preside.  The 
strategy  was  masterful.  Thus  invited  by  their  commanding 
officer  to  meet  for  discussion  of  the  situation,  the  men  would 
not  come  together  in  response  to  the  irregular  and  incendiary 
pamphlet  that  had  been  distributed  among  them.  More 
over,  whatever  sting  might  have  remained  in  the  fangs  of 
Gates  was  eliminated  by  his  appointment  as  presiding  officer. 
Before  the  day  of  the  meeting  arrived,  feeling  had  sub 
sided,  though  there  was  still  bitterness  against  Congress 
and  ^fe*.  the  taxpayers,  and  a  willingness  on  the  part 
of  the  men  to  take  some  extreme  steps  to 
obtain  their  deserts  at  the  hands  of  those 
whom  they  so  long  had  served.  There 
was  still  left  enough  feeling  to  make 
the  situation  tense  and  to 
test  the  nerves  of  those 
responsible,  when  the 
men  had  assembled  on  the 
day  appointed,  prepared 
for  a  discussion  of  the 
problems  before  them. 
Suddenly,  when  the  men 
stood  about,  expec 
tant,  restless,  and 
ready  for  any 
thing,  Washing 
ton  appeared. 
Amid  the  most 


TTTT    C*  ATVTT>     AT 


TAMING   THE   BEAST 


35 


profound  silence,  he  walked  to  the  front  of  the  meeting; 
and  in  the  tensest  silence  spoke  to  the  assembly.  He  sym 
pathized  with  them ;  he  appreciated  the  justice  of  their  claims, 
and  grieved  for  their  sufferings.  At  the  same  time,  he 
pointed  out  the  tremendous  difficulties  under  which  Congress 
labored,  and  extolled  forbearance  in  the  circumstances  as 
the  greatest  victory  over  themselves  that  would  be  possible. 
With  superb  diplomacy,  he  ascribed  the  anonymous  appeal 
to  British  emissaries,  eager  to  disgrace  an  army  which  they 
could  not  defeat  in  a  fair  field. 

So  he  spoke,  in  tones  full  of  feeling,  appealing  to  their 
better  natures,  arousing  their  patriotism,  their  sense  of  honor, 


their  manliness.     His  majestic  presence 

edge  that   he   had   served  his  country 

added  weight  to  every  word.   And  then, 

fixed  upon  him,  with  every  ear  straining 

what  he  had  still  to  say,  he  took  from 

pocket  a  letter  from  a  member 

of     Congress     to 

to  the  soldiers 

the  good  faith 

of      Congress. 

Finding    his 

unaided    sight 

insufficient,  he 

stopped,     and 

took  from  his 

pocket    a    pair 

of      spectacles, 

which    he   put 


and  the  knowl- 
without     pay 
with    each    eye 
to    hear 
his 


on. 


I  have 


grown  grey  in 
your  service," 
he  said,  in  his 


THE  DELAVAN  PLOT  IN  SLEEPY  HOLLOW  CEMETERY, 

TARRYTOWN,  NEW  YORK:     HERE  REST  EIGHT 

BROTHERS  WHO  FOUGHT  AND  DIED 

UNDER  WASHINGTON 


36  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

simple  manner,  while  looking  upon    them  all   with  a  sad 
smile;  "now  I  find  myself  growing  blind." 

The  thing  was  done.  Once  more  that  great  soul  con 
ducted  his  fellow-countrymen  through  dangers  that  had 
been  thick  about  them  from  the  beginning.  Wonderfully 
patient,  wonderfully  wise,  he  had  led  them  to  the  light.  An 
instant  and  complete  revulsion  of  feeling  ensued.  When 
he  had  finished  reading  the  letter  he  withdrew  from  the 
meeting;  but  those  left  behind  did  not  hesitate,  or  debate 
on  what  they  should  do.  With  one  voice,  they  passed 
resolutions  expressing  "  unshaken  confidence  in 
the  justice  of  Congress,"  and,  it  was  added, 
"the  officers  of  the  American  army  view  with 
abhorrence  and  reject  with  disdain  the  infamous 
proposals  contained  in  a  late  anonymous 
address  to  them."  These  resolutions  the 
crestfallen  and  angry  Gates  had  perforce  to 
put  and  declare  unanimously  ^  carried, 

Thus  was  the  spirit  of  the 
beast  tamed  by  him  who  was 
"first  in  war,  first  in  peace, 
and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen. "   Thus  was  the 
new     country     saved     from 
mutiny  and  anarchy  on  the 
very  threshhold  of  its  career. 


GREENOUGH'S  STATUE  OF  WASHINGTON,  Now 
THE  SMITHSONIAN  BUILDING  AT  WASHINGTON* 


CHAPTER  II 
LOVE   AND    A  TORY 

A  MAID  and  a  man  stood  in  the  half-light  beside  the 
hearth  in  a  cottage  kitchen.  Without,  the  Novem 
ber  sky  scowled,  and  wind  rattled  among  the  uplifted 
twigs  of  the  trees.  To  the  south  stood  the  town  of  New 
York ;  scattered  cottages  were  close  at  hand ;  beyond  them  lay 
the  mansions  of  the  rich;  in  the  distance,  the  business  build 
ings.  The  cottage  in  which  they  were  was  on  the  outskirts. 

The  man  was  dark  of  skin,  with  curling  hair  and  a  frank, 
boyish  face.     His    eyes  were  a  shade   too  open,  the  chin 
was  deficient,  the    lips    some 
times  failed  to  meet ;   but  for 
all  that  he  had  a  beauty  of 
the  kind  women  like. 

The    maid    was  of  the 
softly    pretty    type;    trans 
lucent,  iridescent  skin,  with 
a   play   of    color    beneath; 
hair  fairer  than  gold;   round 
hands;   a  neck  of  milk,    and> 
perhaps,  honey. 

There    was    sorrow    between 
the  two  —  the  sweet  sorrow  that 
comes  to  the  young  who  love ,  for 
their  love  had  its  bitterness. 

The  man  spoke  first.  "God 
knows  when  I  shall  see  you  again, 
Alargaret,"  he  whispered. 

"You     cannot      come     again 

37 

THE  DECORATION  OF  THE  CINCINNATI 

GIVEN  BY  THE   OFFICERS   OF   THE 
FRENCH  NAVY  TO  WASHINGTON, 
AND  STILL  WORN  BY  THE  PRESI 
DENT  GENERAL  OF  THE  ORDER 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


to-morrow?"     Tears  were  in  her  blue  eyes.     One  hand 
trembled  along  his  sleeve. 

He  wrinkled  his  brow.  "  Why  do  you  make  it  hard  for 
me  ?  You  know  I  cannot  safely  come  again.  By  to-mor 
row,  the  last  of  our  troops  will  be  out  of  the  city." 

"Do  not  say  our  troops,  Trumbull,"  she  expostulated. 
"The  British  troops,  then,"  the  young  man  amended. 
"If  you  would  have  me  stay,  Margaret,  you  have  only  to 
say  the  word,  though  I  could  not  answer  for  what  might 
happen  to  me.  You  know  how  I  was  hated  and  persecuted 
before  the  war  began,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  my 
father  was  loyal  to  his  King.  And  now  that  the  rebels 
have  won  - 

She  placed  a  round  hand  upon  his  full  lips,  looking  up 

at  him,  and  shak- 
ing  her  head. 
"Trumbull,"  she 
said,  "have  we 
not  yet  learned  to 
keep  such  terms 
out  of  our  speech  ? 
Is  it  not  enough 
that  I  should  love 
a  Tory,  without 
being  always  re 
minded  of  it  by 
him?" 

"And  is  it  not 
enough  that  I 
should  risk  loving 

a " 

"A  patriot" 
she    interpolated. 
"A    patriot  — 


WASHINGTON 


(From  the  portrait  by  Trumbull,  in  the 
City  Hall,  New  York} 


LOVE  AND   A  TORY 


39 


BLESSING    OF    PEACE      (From  the 
bronze  doors  of  the  Capitol  at  Wash 
ington,  by  Rogers) 


without  having  to  repress 
every  expression  of  my  own 
convictions  and  loyalty?" 

She  smiled  at  that,  per 
haps  a  trifle  whimsically. 
"Do  you  forget  that  I 
have  already  given  up 
much?  Do  you  fail  to 
remember  that  your  own 
uncle  Waddington  has  been 
in  my  mother's  house  these 
five  years,  and  you  with 
him,  while  my  mother  and  THE 
I  have  barely  found  shelter 
in  this  little  cottage?" 

"Why  do  you  flaunt  this  at  me?"  cried  the  young  man, 
in  the  passion  of  one  whose  ground  of  defense  is  weak. 
"I  could  not  prevent  my  uncle  from  occupying  your 
mother's  house,  could  I?" 

She  laid  her  two  hands  upon  his  shoulders,  and  pressed 
more  closely  to  him.  "Trumbull,"  she  murmured,  "let 
us  not  quarrel  on  our  last  day.  I  confess  that  I  was  piqued 
when  you  told  me  you  must  go,  for  I  could  not  at  once  see  the 
need  of  it.  You  know  that  the  treaty  of  peace  says  that  the 
States  shall  not  persecute  the  Tories,  and  I  did  not  realize 
you  would  be  in  danger  if  you  remained  in  New  York." 

Trumbull  Erskine  was  mollified  at  once.  "If  it  were 
not  for  that  scoundrel,  Nicholas  Snell,  I  might  find  it  well 
enough  to  stay,"  he  said,  making  himself  out  an  abused 
hero.  "But  he  is  so  wholly  evil  and  malicious,  and  so 
cunning,  that  he  would  certainly  work  us  mischief." 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  Nicholas  Snell,"  said  Margaret 
Rutgers,  lifting  her  head. 

"But  if  we  do  not  provoke  him  with  the  constant  sight 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


of  our  happiness  and  love  for  each  other,  he  will  be  less  apt 
to  try  his  evil  hand  against  us.  for  you  can  keep  him  tender 
until  I  return  to  take  you  away  with  me."  After  this  fash 
ion  argued  the  young  lover  with  the  little  chin. 

"It  will  not  be  long,  Margaret,"  he  said,  fondling  her. 
"I  shall  return  for  you  soon,  and  so  strong  that  we  shall 

have  nothing  to  fear.      Be    strong; 
be  brave;    be  true!" 

These,  all  things  considered, 
were  rather    amusing  injunc 
tions  for  this  youth  to  lay 
upon    her.      She    did    not 
consider   them     so,    being 
duly    tearful     when     he 
opened  the    door  at  last, 
and  slipped  cautiously  out 
in  the  November  evening. 
How      much     cause 
Trumbull    Erskine    had 
to  fear  the  return  of  the 
Americans  to  the  City  of 
New  York   is    a   matter 
open  to  discussion.     It  is 
not  likely  that  he  had  need 
to  be  anxious  for  his  life,  but 

JOHN  DICKINSON     (From  the  portrait  in  the         there     Were      many     COnSlder- 
Capitol  at  Harrisburg) 

ations  short  of  a  question  of 

life  and  death  that  made  an  agitating  appeal  to  his  ego. 
Whatever  his  exigency  was,  Trumbull  Erskine  was  not 
alone  in  considering  it  well  to  leave  New  York  when  the 
British  army  was  withdrawn  after  the  treaty  of  peace. 
Between  Yorktown  and  the  final  evacuation,  more  than 
12,000  Tories,  many  of  them  most  worthy  and  useful  citi 
zens  of  the  community,  packed  what  they  could  and  de- 


LOVE  AND   A  TORY 


parted  for  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  the  West  Indies,  England, 

-  or  whatever  place  appealed  to  their  interests  or  fancies. 

This,  despite  the  fact  that  in  the  treaty  of  peace,  nego 

tiated  and  signed  at  Paris,  Congress  agreed  to  urge  the 

States  to  pass  laws  making  the  lives  and 

property  of  Tories  safe 
within  their  borders,  and 
extending  to  them 
a  equality  before 
the  law.  Time 
demonstrated 
the  endeavors 
of  Congress  to 
be  futile,  that 
body  having 
only  advisory 
control  over  the 
several  States, 
without  the  power  to  insist  upon  the  desired  legislation, 
or  to  make  laws  covering  the  issue. 

Instead    of    complying    with   the    expressed    wishes    of 


THE  HEADQUARTERS  AT  ROCKY  HILL,  NEAR  PRINCETON,  NEW 

JERSEY,  WHERE  WASHINGTON  WROTE  His  FAREWELL 

ADDRESS  TO  THE  ARMY  IN  1783 


Congress  and  the  terms  of  the 

several  legislatures,  in  the  bills 

concerning    those 

who     had    given 

comfort  or  assist 

ance  to  the  Brit 

ish    in     the    late 

war,    suited     the 

humor     of     the 

people,  which 

was    evil 

enough. 

The  restric- 


treaty, 
tneY 


the 


NASSAU  HALL,  PRTNCETON  UNIVERSITY:     THE  CONTINENTAL 
CONGRESS  SAT  HERE  IN  1783,  AND  HERE  WASHINGTON 
RECEIVED  THE  NATIONAL  THANKS  FOR  THE  SUC 
CESSFUL  CONDUCT  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


42  VALOR    &  VICTORY 

tions  were  especially  severe  in  New  York,  where  a  bill 
was  passed  prohibiting  the  return  of  any  Tory  who  had 
left  the  State,  which,  it  will  be  observed,  fitted  the  case 
of  Trumbull  Erskine.  Another,  called  the  trespass  act, 
ordained  that  any  Whig  whose  property  had  been  used  or 
held  by  a  Tory,  at  any  time  during  the  occupation  of  New 
York,  could  recover  damages  from  that  Tory.  This  fitted 
the  case  of  Margaret  Rutgers's  widowed  mother. 

Although  incipient  anarchy  at  Newburgh  had  been 
nipped  in  the  bud,  mischief  had  come  from  it.  News 
going  abroad,  the  country  became  deadly  afraid  of  the 
army.  A  standing  army  was  then  considered  one  of  the 
detested  institutions  of  monarchy,  of  which  the  States 
had  had  evil  experience.  The  American  army,  now  that 
its  work  was  done,  became,  in  the  minds  of  the  more  tim 
orous  and  unstable,  a  sign  and  symbol  of  monarchy. 

Two  things  happened  to  augment  this  fear  and  sink  the 
States  further  into  the  maelstrom  of  misunderstanding, 
jealousy,  fear,  and  anarchy,  whither  events  were  already 
whirling  them,  and  out  of  which  they  were  dragged  in  a 
way  with  which  this  story  will  have  somewhat  to  do.  One 
of  the  two  things  that  set  the  fears  of  the  people  on  feather 
edge  occurred  in  Philadelphia,  in  June.  A  drunken  rab 
ble  of  Pennsylvania  soldiery,  arming  themselves,  marched 
into  Philadelphia  and  drove  the  Congress  across  the  river 
to  Princeton.  Governor  Dickinson  considered  it  the  part 
of  discretion  to  refrain  from  calling  upon  the  local  militia 
to  repel  the  regulars.  Congress  was  not  in  favor  with  the 
people,  being,  in  polite  terms,  effete;  but  it  represented  the 
idea  of  popular  government.  So  when  the  drunken  soldiers 
assailed  it,  and  pricked  it  off  to  Princeton,  that  part  of 
the  people  which  did  not  laugh  took  refuge  behind  fright, 
and  scolded  roundly  about  the  evils  of  a  standing  army. 

The  other  circumstance  that  added  to  fear  and  stirred 


LOVE  AND  A  TORY  43 

the  whirlpool  was  an  innocent  and  sentimental  conception 
of  General  Knox's.  He  thought  it  would  be  pleasant  and 
appropriate  to  organize  the  army's  officers  into  a  society 
for  the  promotion  of  tender  memories.  It  appealed  to  him 
as  a  worthy  idea  to  maintain  and  continue  the  close  bond 
that  had  grown  up  between  them  in  the  years  of  the  war. 


ENTRANCE   OF   THE   AMERICAN   ARMY   INTO    NEW  YORK,  NOVEMBER  25,  1783 
(From  the  engraving  by  Chaphi) 

The  thought  made  a  similar  appeal  to  other  officers,  which 
led  to  the  formation  of  the  Order  of  the  Cincinnati,  with 
Washington  as  its  first  president.  The  Cincinnati  had  a 
golden  decoration,  which  Louis  XVI  recognized,  and 
swords  of  distinction;  they  organized  State  departments 
to  meet  every  Fourth  of  July;  they  ordained  that  the  French 
officers  should  be  members  of  the  order;  they  laid  down  a 
rule  that  the  eldest  son  should  inherit  from  his  father  the 
honor  of  having  fought  in  the  war. 

The  order  was  bitterly  inveighed  against,  in  pamphlet 
and  from  the  platform,  as  a  revival  of  the  old  idea  of  an 
hereditary  aristocracy,  which  Americans  had  been  seven 


44  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

years  combating.  The  country  was  stirred  immoderately. 
The  commotion  we  can  laugh  at  now  as  comical,  unless  we 
stop  to  consider  that  it  was  only  a  sign  of  half-wild  quick 
ness  due  to  the  popular  prejudices  of  the  time;  the  rabid 
fury  of  the  mob  against  anything  that  harked  back  to  the 
old  order;  the  fanatical  worship  of  the  idea  of  individual 
liberty  and  the  equality  of  man;  a  sign,  in  short,  of  an 
archy.  With  these  reflections  we  do  not  smile,  but  rather 
grow  serious  with  wonder  that  the  States  ever  came  safely 
through  the  turmoil  following  the  Revolution. 

The  treaty  of  peace,  negotiated  by  Franklin,  Adams, 
and  Jay,  was  a  triumph  of  diplomacy.  The  representatives 
of  the  States,  knowing  their  ground,  bullied  England  into 
terms  more  favorable  than  the  most  sanguine  had  hoped  for. 
Our  independence  was  recognized  fully  and  forthwith. 
England  gave  up  the  western  country  south  of  the  Great 
Lakes  and  as  far  as  the  Mississippi,  beyond  which  lay 
Spanish  territory.  Franklin  had  begun  by  asking  for 
Canada  and  Nova  Scotia,  to  allow  for  leeway.  It  is  a 
great  soul  that  can  introduce  humor  into  negotiations  for 
a  treaty  of  peace, —  and  a  treaty  with  England,  at  that. 

American  fishermen  were  accorded  the  privileges  of  the 
Banks.  We  got  nothing  in  commercial  concessions,  al 
though  Jay  tried  for  them.  There  was  discussion  over  the 
payment  of  private  debts  due  from  Americans  to  English 
men,  incurred  before  the  war.  Perhaps  there  was  some 
American  humor  in  introducing  that  into  the  transactions. 
There  was  at  least  American  shrewdness;  for  it  is  conceded 
to  be  shrewd  to  ask  for  more  than  one  is  entitled, to,  or 
expects  to  get.  The  Americans  were  not  absolved  from  their 
debts  by  the  treaty. 

Further,  there  were  the  articles  concerning  the  freedom 
from  further  persecution  that  the  Tories  were  to  enjoy, 
and  the  amendment  or  repeal  of  laws  hostile  to  their  prop- 


LOVE  AND   A  TORY 


45 


News  of 
signing     of 


erty  interests,  the  American  envoys  undertaking  to  have 
Congress  suggest  such  measures  and  changes  to  the  several 
States.  At  the  same  time,  they  gave  England  to  under 
stand  that  Con 
gress  could  only 
bring  these  mat 
ters  to  the  atten 
tion  of  the  several 
legislatures.  How 
far  the  sugges 
tions  went  has 
already  been  told. 

the 

the 

final  articles 
came  to  America 
late  in  March,  a 
few  days  after 
anarchy  had  been 
smoothed  away 
at  Newburgh. 
On  April  19, 
General  Wash 
ington,  under  in 
structions  from 
Congress,  pro 
claimed  to  the 
troops  a  cessation 
of  hostilities;  and  old  soldiers,  placed  upon  furloughs, 
straggled  home,  penniless  and  ragged,  with  wounds  and 
muskets  to  show  for  their  services.  On  November  25, 
1783,  the  British  army,  under  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  evacuated 
New  York. 

One  day  before,  Trumbull  Erskine  took  ship  for  Halifax. 


WASHINGTON'S  FAREWELL  TO  His  OFFICERS  AT 
FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN,  NEW  YORK 


46  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Four  days  later  Nicholas  Snell  paid  a  visit  to  Margaret. 
Old  friends  from  childhood,  Snell,  proclaiming  himself 
lover,  had  found  opportunities  to  see  her  at  intervals  since 
she  and  her  mother  had  been  living  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
city.  Margaret  did  not  like  Snell.  She  could  have  given  as 
little  reason  for  the  aversion  as  for  loving  Trumbull.  She 
only  knew  that  she  had  never  cared  much  for  him,  and  that 
she  almost  disliked  him  since  he  had  begun  to  show  too  warm 
a  regard  for  her.  Nevertheless,  she  was  not  sorry  to  see  him, 
the  meeting  taking  its  complexion  from  the  universal  joy 
at  the  home-coming  of  the  long  exiled  patriots  of  New  York. 

Nicholas  stormed  at  great  length  because  she  and  her 
mother  had  been  driven  out  by  the  British,  and  their  estate 
seized  by  the  rich  Tory,  Waddington.  He  abused  all 
Tories,  and  especially  this  one  and  his  nephew,  Trumbull 
Erskine.  Margaret  suffered  him  to  inveigh  against  them, 
deeming  it  prudent  to  let  her  relations  with  the  absent 
young  man  be  unknown  to  this  more  virile  rival. 

The  winter  dragged  by.  Washington,  on  his  way  to 
resign  his  commission  as  commander-in-chief  to  the  Con 
gress,  then  sitting  at  Annapolis,  took  formal  leave  of  the 
leading  officers  of  the  Continental  army  at  Fraunces's 
Tavern  in  New  York.  Washington  was  the  last  of  the  dis 
tinguished  company  to  arrive,  and  the  strong  emotion  he 
manifested  on  entering  the  room  kept  the  assembly  almost 
silent  through  the  little  repast  that  followed.  The  general 
arose,  his  glass  of  wine  in  hand,  and  proposed  the  following 
health: 

"  With  a  heart  full  of  love  and  gratitude  I  must  now  take 
my  leave  of  you.  I  most  devoutly  wish  that  your  latter 
days  may  be  as  prosperous  and  happy  as  your  former  ones 
have  been  glorious  and  honorable."  The  toast  was  drunk 
in  silence,  and  Washington  added: 


LOVE  AND   A   TORY 


49 


"I  cannot  come  to  each  of  you  to  take  my  leave,  but  shall 
be  obliged  to  you  if  each  will  come  and  take  me  by  the  hand." 

General  Knox,  standing  nearest,  extended  his  hand. 
Washington  grasped  it,  weeping  and  unable  to  speak.  They 
embraced  without  a  word.  The  other  officers,  also  weeping, 
followed,  embracing  and  kissing  and  parting  from  their 


THE  OLD  CITY  HOTEL  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  WHERE  WASHINGTON  WAS  ENTERTAINED 

chief  in  a  profound  silence,  broken  only  by  their  sobs.  Thus 
the  beloved  hero  retired  from  the  field  of  arms  to  private 
life  once  more. 

The  country  was  in  disorder.  It  was  like  a  household 
that  has  been  turned  out  at  night  to  fight  fire.  The  house 
had  been  saved,  but  no  one  knew  how  much  was  left,  or 
where  to  begin  the  work  of  restoring  it.  New  York  City 
was  ruined.  For  seven  years  it  had  been  occupied  by  the 
British  and  their  Tory  sympathizers.  When  they  withdrew, 
business  and  all  the  functions  of  the  community  were  para 
lyzed.  There  was  deadly  rancor  between  the  few  Tories 
who  remained,  and  the  patriots  who  returned. 


50  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Nicholas  Snell  visited  Margaret  and  her  mother  during 
the  winter  with  more  or  less  regularity,  making  himself  as 
agreeable  as  he  could,  and  helpful.  He  brought  dainties 
from  New  York;  he  saw  that  they  had  wood,  and  that  it 
was  prepared  for  the  hearth ;  he  tinkered  the  doors  of  their 
rickety  cottage.  Margaret  was  not  pleased  with  him, 


THE  OLD  SENATE  CHAMBER  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND,  WHERE  WASHINGTON 
RESIGNED  His  COMMISSION 

but  she  did  not  refuse  gratitude  for  his  little  acts  of  con 
sideration.  The  Widow  Rutgers,  who  had  no  such  fine 
reason  as  her  daughter  for  discrediting  him,  warmed  toward 
him.  Meanwhile,  there  came  scarcely  a  word  from  Trum- 
bull,  who  was  scrambling  for  a  foothold  in  Halifax. 

One  summer  day  after  the  passage  of  the  trespass  act, 
Snell  came  to  the  little  cottage  in  high  feather.  "Pack  up 
your  things,  Maggie,"  he  said  to  her,  "for  you  are  going 
back  to  your  house."  Thereupon  he  told  her  of  the  tres- 


LOVE  AND  A  TORY 


pass  act,  and  pointed  out  how  her  mother  could  dispossess 
old  Waddington  of  her  house  and  lands  in  New  York,  for 
the  uncle  had  remained  in  the  city.  When  he  volunteered 
to  find  counsel  and  help  the  Widow  Rutgers  in  her  suit 
against  the  Tory,  she  pinned  her  whole  hope  in  him. 

The  case  created  a  popular  furore.  There  had  been 
many  trials  under  the  new  statute,  but  the  circumstances  of 
this  cause  made  it  peculiarly  adaptable  to  popularity;  it 
was  the  story  of  the  poor  widow  and  the  hard  rich  man 
over  again.  The  people,  the  court,  the  country,  were  all 
in  accord;  the  verdict  was  as  good  as  rendered. 

Then  something  happened  — something  that  led  to 
many  other  things,  as  will  become  apparent  on  a  perusal  of 
subsequent  chapters  of  thisA  story.  Alexander  Hamilton 


was  asked  to  take  the  defense, 
act,     contravening    interna- 
he  said,  had  no  right  to  exist 
On  these  broad  grounds 
court  and  brought   off 
ant,  against  the  tears  of 
outcries  of  the  people, 
him     in      indignation 
scolded  and  told  tales 
boys  hooted  him  in  the 
Rutgers  was  frantic; 
for  murder, 
ret  said 


and  took  it.   The  trespass 
tional  law  and  the  treaty, 
on   the    statute   books. 
Hamilton     went     into 
verdict  for  the  defend- 
the   widow   and  the 
Men  howled   about 
.    meetings;      women 
m   about    him;    small 
streets.  The  Widow 
Snell  was  fit 
But  Marga- 
not  a  word. 


THE  OLD  STATE  HOUSE  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND 


CHAPTER  III 
THE   FIRST   LINK 

NICHOLAS  SNELL  was  at  his  best  when  in  his  cups. 
Drink  removed  from  his  conduct  a  certain  cautious 
constraint,  leaving  him  more  or  less  honestly  unscrupulous. 
Villainy  is  often  more  atrocious  because  it  sneaks;  it  is  some 
times    not     so      ^^u*.     much  what  the  rogue  does  as  his 

manner  of  doing 
it  that  incenses 
the  virtuous.  This 
is  a  fact  well  and 
profitably  known 
to  thieves  of  large 
designs. 

Being  a  little 
in  drink  on  the 
occasion,  Nicho 
las  was  in  high 
favor  with  a  com 
pany  of  afternoon 
topers,  who  gath 
er  e  d  in  the 
coffee-room  of 
Fraunces's  tav 
ern,  soon  after 
the  decision  in 
the  case  of  Rut 
gers  against  Waddington.  Since  that  time  a  popular  diver 
sion  had  been  abuse  of  Hamilton  for  the  part  he  had  taken. 
This  abuse  stopped  short  of  no  accusation  or  innuendo. 

52 


TABLET  ON  FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN 


THE   FIRST  LINK 


53 


In  reply  to  the  attack,  Hamilton  had  written  a  letter  to 
the  public  press,  over  the  pseudonym  of  Phocion,  following 
a  classical  fashion  of  the  hour.  Hamilton  was  one  of  the 
greatest  writers  of  pamphlets  and  letters  this  country  has 
seen.  In  addition  to  this,  having  the  right  in  this  discussion, 


FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN  AS  RESTORED  BY  THE  SONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION  IN  1905 

his  letter  had  a  depressing  effect  on  partisans  of  the  widow, 
moved  entirely  by  prejudice. 

In  New  York  there  was  a  pot-house  politician  named 
Isaac  Ledyard.  In  an  evil  moment,  Ledyard  took  up  his 
pen  and  made  reply  to  Phocion,  behind  the  name  Mentor. 
A  battle  of  pamphlets  followed,  in  which  Phocion  was  over 
whelmingly  victorious.  When  the  last  pamphlet  had 
fluttered  into  the  waste-basket,  the  people  had  come  to  see 
the  matter  as  Hamilton  saw  it. 


54  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

It  was  these  affairs  that  Nicholas  Snell,  in  his  cups, 
discussed  with  his  bibulous  friends;  the  more  loudly  and 
rancorously  for  the  reason  that  the  company  was  a  club  in 
which  Ledyard  was  a  member  and  leader. 

"He  has  a  silken,  plausible  pen  that  brings  dundering 
fools  to  his  way  of  thinking,  while  an  honest  man  stands 
helpless,"  shouted  Nicholas  Snell,  frowning  prodigiously 
and  jabbing  the  table  with  the  broken  stem  of  a  wineglass. 
"If  the  scoundrel  were  to  come  out  to-morrow  and  preach 
to  make  Washington  king,  and  turn  the  Order  of  the  Cin 
cinnati  into  a  house  of  lords,  as  he  is  like  to  do,  he  would 
have  the  rabble  with  him.'7 

"But  there  seems  much  truth  in  what  he  says,"  ventured 
another. 

"Here  is  an  example  of  the  mischief  he  has  wrought; 
one  of  our  own  number  comes  flaunting  him  here  as  one 
who  tells  the  truth  against  Isaac  Ledyard,"  cried  Snell. 
"Hamilton  says  that  we  should  suffer  the  Tories  to  enjoy 
the  same  rights  that  we  do.  Any  man  who  would  suffer 
the  fawning  spaniels  to  come  licking  our  hand  now  is 
a  traitor,  and  ought  to  be  treated  as  a  traitor.  Every 
man— 

One  of  the  company,  who  had  been  poring  over  a  news 
paper,  broke  in  at  this  juncture,  in  order  to  read  aloud 
something  he  had  found.  "Here  is  what  the  Massachu 
setts  Chronicle  says,  and  it  is  well  said,"  he  cried.  "  'As 
Hannibal  swore  never  to  be  at  peace  with  the  Romans,  so 
let  every  Whig  swear  by  his  abhorrence  of  slavery,  by 
liberty  and  religion,  by  the  shades  of  departed  friends  who 
have  fallen  in  battle,  by  the  ghosts  of  those  of  our  brethren 
who  have  been  destroyed  on  board  prison  ships  and  in 
loathsome  dungeons,  never  to  be  at  peace  with  those  fiends 
of  the  refugees,  whose  thefts,  murders,  and  treason  have 
filled  the  cup  of  woe.'  Was  ever  anything  better  said?" 


THE   FIRST  LINK  57 

The  sentiment  was  much  applauded;  it  was  some  time 
before  Snell  could  again  command  attention,  though  he 
did  not  forego  efforts  to  speak,  during  the  tumult.  "This 
man  Hamilton  says  we  should  not  drive  them  out  of  the 
country,  because  Congress  asks  us  not  to,"  he  went  on. 
"A  great  deal  we  care  for  Congress,  we  who  have  been 
through  the  war  and  got  our  trouble  for  our  pains.  Why 
should  not  these  wretches  be  driven  from  the  country? 
They  cannot  desire  to  live  under  a  free  government  which 
they  have  been  at  such  pains  to  destroy.  Let  them  go  to 
his  Majesty's  kingdom,  and  there  live  under  a  government 
they  like.  It  would  never  do  to  let  them  stay  here,  to  plot 
and  plan  at  their  leisure,  and  turn  us  over  to  England  again 
when  the  time  is  ripe.  Neither  will  it  do  to  let  this  vicious 
traitor  stay,  whose  tongue  has  poisoned  the  minds  of  our 
people.  Why,  six  months  ago  we  were  running  up  and 
down  the  streets  with  the  name  of  the  Widow  Rutgers  on 
our  lips,  and  cursing  the  old  scoundrel  Waddington  with  a 
whole  heart,  and  now  we  sit  about  saying  the  minions  of 
Great  Britain  are  honest  and  honorable  men,  who  should 
be  permitted  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  the  widow's  soil,  filched 
from  her  by  the  King's  soldiers!" 

"The  man  that  says  that  should  be  driven  after  the  heels 
of  the  Tories  themselves,"  cried  another. 

"Nay,"  said  Snell,  lowering  his  voice  and  leaning  for 
ward,  "we  must  do  better  than  that.  This  man  Hamil 
ton,  this  infamous  rogue,  must  be  silenced,  and  he  must 
be  punished.  There  is  only  one  way,  and  that  way  I  pro 
pose  to  take." 

"And  what  way  is  that?"     A  hush  fell  among  them. 

"He  must  die."  A  little  murmur  ran  about  the  company ; 
the  suggestion  was  over-bold.  "Nay,  do  not  mistake  me," 
Snell  went  on,  leering  at  them.  "I  mean  it  shall  be  fair. 
It  shall  be  in  fair  field,  I  warrant  you." 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


"You  will  fight  him,  then?" 

"With  great  joy  I  would  fight  him.  But  it  is  well 
known  that,  while  I  am  not  lacking  in  valor,  I  am  deficient 
in  skill  with  sword  and  pistol  alike ;  but  there  be  among  us 
many  before  whom  he  could  not  last  a  minute."  They 
listened  in  hushed  expectancy.  "What  I  have  to  propose, 

then,  is,  that  we 
choose  amongst  us, 
from  our  best,  one  to 
bring  about  a  quarrel 
with  this  rogue,  and 
lay  him  low." 

"But  if  the  luck 
is  on  the  other  side  ?  " 
suggested  one  of  the 
number,  with  a  wry 
face. 

"Are  there  not 
many  of  us,  and  only 
one  of  him?  The 
luck  cannot  last  for 
ever.  There  must 
be  a  turn  in  it,  and 
one  of  us  must  cut 

FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN     (From  an  old  print)  himdown!" 

It  was  an  idea  that  came  to  him  out  of  his  cups,  devel 
oping  in  his  mind  as  he  talked,  and  it  found  favor  with  the 
company.  Seizing  it,  they  fell  upon  it  in  discussion,  bring 
ing  it  to  some  form  amid  many  potations,  and  proceeding 
to  the  edge  of  acting  upon  it  —  where  they  stopped,  for  the 
time.  Pot-valiant  though  they  were,  they  were  not  ready 
to  put  the  scheme  into  immediate  execution,  it  being  too 
momentous  to  be  set  afoot  after  such  short  consideration. 


THE   FIRST  LINK 


59 


Another  time  they  would  settle  by  lot,  or  election,  who 
should  be  the  first  to  take  the  field  against  the  man  they 
could  not  refute.  For  the  present  they  solaced  themselves 
in  contemplation  of  their  plans. 

Among  them  all  Nicholas  Snell  was  most  pleased  with 
the  notion,  but  not  entirely  because  it  was  his  own.     It  had 


THE  OLD  CITY  HALL,  NEW  YORK    (From  an  early  print} 

a  significance  in  his  case  quite  apart  from  the  good  it  prom 
ised  to  the  community  in  getting  rid  of  Hamilton.  By  it, 
he  thought,  he  would  surely  find  favor  in  Margaret's  eyes, 
She  had  suffered  most  directly  from  Hamilton's  champion 
ship  of  the  Tory  cause;  his  punishment,  according  to  the 
lights  that  illuminated  Nicholas,  would  be  peculiarly  pleas 
ing  to  her;  his  own  connection  with  it  would  redound  to 
his  advantage. 

The  next  day  he  went  to  see  Margaret. 

He  was  feeling  in  high  feather  when  he  approached  the 
new  little  home,  provided  by  sympathizers.  He  found  her 
alone.  He  came  to  the  tale  bluntly,  only  pausing  to  make 


60  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

clear  to  her  his  own  part  in  the  plan,  and  to  show  her  how 
his  affection  had  inspired  him  to  it. 

He  soon  learned  how  far  he  had  misguessed  in  think 
ing  she  would  be  pleased  and  grateful.  "You  come  to  tell 
me  you  have  plotted  a  murder,  in  order  that  I  may  be 
avenged?"  she  said,  recoiling  from  him. 

For  a  space  he  was  taken  aback.  "Why,  yes,"  he 
stammered.  "That  is,  it  is  by  no  means  a  murder,  for  it 
will  all  be  fair.  The  scoundrel  deserves  to  be  shot." 

"It  must  be  stopped!"  she  cried.  "I  abhor  the  deed 
you  contemplate!  I  despise  you  for  your  part  in  it!  Go 
back  to  your  fellow-conspirators  and  undo  what  you  have 
done,  or  never  let  me  see  your  face  again. " 

In  vain  did  he  argue  and  expostulate,  explain  and  plead. 
She  would  listen  to  nothing,  he  found,  and  still  demanded 
that  he  spoil  the  plot  he  had  made.  In  the  end,  much 
crestfallen  and  not  a  little  angry,  he  agreed  to  make  the 
attempt. 

Not  feeling  secure  in  his  promise,  she  was  not  satisfied 
to  do  nothing  more  to  prevent  the  scheme  from  coming  to 
mischief.  She  felt  implicated  in  the  plot,  wickedly  guilty 
of  having  a  part  in  it;  she  must  do  something  more  than 
she  had  done  to  block  it. 

Impelled  by  emotions  which  knowledge  had  stirred 
within  her,  she  placed  her  bonnet  on  her  head,  soon  after 
Snell  disappeared,  and  went  into  the  street.  Her  steps 
led  toward  Hamilton's  office.  He  was  already  one  of  the 
leading  lawyers  in  the  city,  dividing  the  honors  with  Aaron 
Burr.  She  arrived  unobserved  and  inconspicuous  - 

"Is  Mr.  Hamilton  engaged?"  she  asked  of  a  clerk. 

"Will  madam  have  a  seat?  Who  shall  I  have  the 
honor  to  tell  him  wishes  to  see  him?" 

"Tell  him,  please,  that  Miss  Rutgers  would  like  a 
few  words  with  him  on  a  matter  of  grave  importance  — 


THE  FIRST  LINK 


61 


Miss  Margaret  Rutgers,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Rutgers, 
if  you  please,"  she  added,  seeing  the  clerk's  brow  go  up. 

Presently  she  was  ushered  into  his  chambers.  He  arose 
to  greet  her,  tactfully  avoiding  any  appearance  of  surprise 
at  her  visit. 

"Permit  me,  madam.     Pray  be  seated,"  he  said,  pleas 
antly,  handing  her  a  chair.     "I  am  deeply  sensible  of  the 
honor  of  your  visit.     I  only  regret 
that  I  am   not   better   equipped 
for  your  reception;  but  you  will  ' 
pardon,  I  know,  the  appear 
ance  and  condition  of  a 
practitioner's  office." 

She  sank  into  the 
chair,   suddenly  over 
come  by  a  realization1 
of   the  situation  which1 
she  had  not  before  stopped  ^ 
to  contemplate.    Her  eyelids 
fluttered,  and  a  short  sigh  escaped  her. 

"You  seem  distressed  and  fatigued,"  said  Hamilton, 
perceiving  her  agitation.  "Will  you  permit  me  to  fetch 
you  a  glass  of  wine?" 

"No,"  she  said,  faintly;  "I  shall  do  very  well,  I  thank 
you." 

"At  least,  allow  me  -  He  poured  and  handed  her  a 
glass  of  water  from  a  pitcher  that  stood  on  the  mantel-shelf. 

She  thanked  him,  recovering  her  composure  by  degrees 
as  she  sipped  at  the  water.  "I  —  it  was  nothing,"  she  said, 
passing  the  glass  back  to  him.  "I  came  here  in  too  great 
haste,  and  —  and  under  some  agitation  of  feeling." 

"I  trust  that  it  is  nothing  that  causes  you  distress  or  un- 
happiness,"  he  ventured.  "I  most  profoundly  hope  it  is 
nothing  to  which  I  have  been  a  contributing  cause." 


WASHINGTON'S  ARCH, 
NEW  YORK 


62  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Raising  her  eyes  to  look  at  him  for  the  first  time,  she 
was  surprised  to  find  him  so  small.  When  she  had  seen 
him  in  the  court,  during  the  trial  of  the  cause,  he  had  seemed 
much  larger,  more  imposing.  But  that  was  in  a  moment 
of  oratory.  There  was  still  the  same  look  of  high  intelli 
gence,  of  a  noble  spirit;  the  same  suggestion  of  delicacy 
about  his  finely  chiseled  features;  and  in  his  eyes,  as  he 
gazed  upon  her,  there  was  an  expression  of  compassion,  of 
kindly  sympathy,  that  set  her  more  at  her  ease. 

"In  a  sense  you  are  involved  in  my  present  distress, 
and  my  errand  here  can  be  traced  back  to  the  —  the  - 
He  helped  her  over  the  awkward  point  with  an  inclination 
of  his  head.  "But  not  in  a  way  that  you  think,  sir." 
There  was  a  pause.  He  waited  for  her  to  resume.  "You 
must  be  aware,  Mr.  Hamilton,  that  you  have  many  bitter 
enemies,"  she  said. 

"It  would  be  vain  and  foolish  of  me  to  decline  to  recog 
nize  that  as  a  fact,  Miss  Rutgers,  and  I  am  not  sure  that  I 
ought  to  regret  having  enemies,  provided  you  are  not  num 
bered  among  them.  A  man  who  contends  for  a  truth  that 
is  not  a  popular  truth  must  be  honored  by  enemies,"  he 
added,  hastily. 

"I  believe  I  am  among  those  who  are  willing  to  give 
you  credit  for  being  a  man  of  honor,  integrity,  and  courage, 
and  to  believe  that  what  you  consider  your  duty  may  some 
times  be  as  painful  to  yourself  as  it  is  to  others,"  she  said. 

"But  even  if  I  were  an  enemy,"  she  went  on,  "the  in 
terest  of  humanity  and  justice  would  demand  my  coming 
to  you  this  afternoon.  I  have  come  to  warn  you." 

"And  you  think  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  do  this,  Miss 
Rutgers?" 

"Why  not,  pray?" 

"You  can  answer  that  better  than  I.  If  you  choose  to 
be  so  magnanimous  I  can  only  accept  your  kindness  with 


THE   FIRST  LINK  63 

the  deepest  gratitude;    but  I  would  not  have  you  indulge 
your  lofty  sentiments  at  any  risk  or  cost  to  yourself." 

"That  is  considerate  of  you,  sir.  I  can  assure  you  that 
I  shall  not  be  placed  in  a  false  position.  Mr.  Hamilton," 
she  arose  from  her  chair;  "I  beg  that  you  will  accept  no 
challenges  to  combat;  that  you  will  fight  no  duels!" 

"That  is  a  broad  request,  madam.  While  it  is  one  that 
both  from  sentiment  and  inclination  I  would  gladly  promise 
to  fulfil,  and 
while  I  am 
deeply  sensible 
of  the  obliga 
tions  you  have 
placed  me  un 
der,  I  would 
not  consider  it 
compatible  with 
my  quasi  public 
position  as  a 
man  of  honor 
to  agree  to  let 
my  name  go 
without  my  de 
fense  because 
of  a  request 
which  you  will 
pardon  my 
characterizing 
as  somewhat 
vague.  Would 
it  be  imperti 
nent  to  request 
you  to  be  more 
specific?" 

ALEXANDER  HAMILTON    (From  the  Houdon  Bust} 


64  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

"It  would  not,  sir.  I  warn  you  specifically  against  the 
club  of  men  who  gather  about  the  leadership  of  Isaac  Led- 
yard.  I  have  learned  this  very  afternoon  that  they  plan  to 
call  you  upon  the  field  of  honor,  one  after  another,  until 
one  of  them  succeeds  in  killing  you,  for  they  hold  that  to  be 
the  only  way  in  which  they  can  hope  to  silence  you." 


THE  GRANGE:     ALEXANDER  HAMILTON'S  NEW  YORK  HOME 

"That  is  quite  the  prettiest  and  most  sincere  compli 
ment  I  have  had  for  my  recent  pamphlets,"  rejoined  Ham 
ilton,  with  a  smile. 

"I  hope  you  take  the  matter  seriously?"  urged  Mar 
garet. 

"Most  seriously,  I  assure  you,  Miss  Rutgers." 

"And  you  will  guard  yourself  against  these  men, , if  they 
attempt  to  carry  out  their  plan?  I  should  tell  you,  also, 
that  I  have  endeavored  to  prevent  them  from  doing  so, 
through  one  of  their  number  who  told  me  of  the  conspiracy." 

"I  most  sincerely  assure  you,  Miss  Rutgers,  that  I  shall 
adopt  all  the  precautions  consistent  with  honor.  I  can 


THE   FIRST  LINK 


scarcely  do  less  to  show  my  appreciation  of  your  solicita 
tion.  I  would  do  very  much  more.  I  hope,  if  the  occasion 
should  ever  arise  when  I  may  be  of  service  to  you,  that  you 
will  permit  me  to  do  something  further  toward  paying  the 
debt  of  gratitude  under  which  you  place  me." 

"You  are  not  so  heavily  obliged  to  me,  sir,"  returned 
Margaret,  going  toward  the  door;  "for  I  could  do  nothing 
else,  in  the  interests  of  humanity." 

"Although  you  choose  to  place  your  action  upon  such 
a  basis,  I  shall  continue  to  consider  myself  your  grateful 


and    obedient  ser- 
her  through  the 
It    is    neces- 
Margaret    Rut- 
Hamilton    that 
not  in  all  prob- 
part  he 
an  d 

m 


vant,"  he  rejoined,  as  he  showed 
outer  chambers  and  to  the  street. 
>.  sary  to  tell  all  of  this,  because  if 
gers    had    not    gone    to     warn 
,££  afternoon,  Hamilton  would 
ability    have  played  the 
afterward  did  in  her  life, 
many  things  that  remain 
to  be  told  would  never 
have      happened. 


THE  THREE   SURVIVORS   OF   THE   ORIGINAL  THIRTEEN  TREES  PLANTED  NEAR 

THE  GRANGE  BY  ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  TO  COMMEMORATE 

THE  THIRTEEN  STATES 


CHAPTER  IV 


CONCERNING   DIVERS    MATTERS 

MARGARET'S    visit  to  Hamilton,  as  events  proved, 
was  unnecessary,  unless  it  might  be  construed  as 
necessary   to   the   out  workings   of   her   own   fate.     There 

followed    from   the   meeting  many 
things. 

The  plot  as  planted  by 
Nicholas  Snell  was  broken 
up.  When  the  details  be 
gan  to  move  beyond  his 
control  and  a  tragedy 
seemed  inevitable,  he  whis 
pered  the  secret  to  Isaac 
Ledyard,  from  whom  the 
conspirators  had  kept  it, 
lest  he,  being  of  a  quicker 
sense  of  honor  than  them 
selves,  should  prevent  them 
from  accomplishing  their 
purpose.  Their  doubts 
concerning  his  cooperation 
proved  well  founded;  he  no 
sooner  learned  of  the  con 
spiracy  against  Hamilton  than 

GEORGE  CLINTON,  FIRST  GOVERNOR  OF  NEW         r      ^   /     6 

YORK     (From  an  engraving  by  Williams)  he     ISSUed      Strict     injunctions 

against  it,  and  it  came  to  nothing. 

From  his  personal  experience  and  connection  with  the 
episode,  Nicholas  Snell  learned  cunning.  He  did  not  get 
wisdom;  if  he  had,  much  of  this  story  could  not  be  written. 

66 


CONCERNING   DIVERS   MATTERS 


67 


erated 
believing 


But  in  learning  cunning,  he  mended  his  outward  bearing 
toward  Margaret,  and  wooed  her  humbly,  cultivating  an 
appearance  of  staid  respectability;  and  if  he  plotted  at  all 
with  tavern  companions,  he  plotted  from  far  beneath  the  sur 
face.  Neither  did 
he  make  further 
boast  to  women 
of  his  plots. 

Margaret  tol- 
Nicholas, 
such   a 

course  the  wiser 
in  the  face  of  his 
insistence.  She 
gave  him  short 
shift  when  he 
approached  the 
realm  of  romance, 
holding  him 
firmly  in  the  posi 
tion  of  a  family 
friend;  a  function 
which  he  had 
grown  cunning  enough  to  accept  with  apparent  willingness. 
And  so  time  went  on. 

Of  Hamilton  she  saw  little  or  nothing.  During  the 
three  years  that  followed  her  first  meeting  with  him,  between 
them  remained  only  a  casual  acquaintance.  When  her 
mother  died,  in  1786,  he  called  to  extend  his  condolence 
and  offer  assistance,  and  once  afterward  he  sent  to  learn 
whether  he  might  help  her  in  any  way.  After  that  she  saw 
nothing  of  him  beyond  a  formal  bow  and  courtsey  in  the 
streets,  until  those  events  took  place  which  were  to  bring 
him  into  her  life  as  a  dominating  factor. 


GOVERNOR  CLINTON'S  HOUSE  AT  POUGHKEEPSIE,  NEW 
YORK 


68  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

The  years  that  passed  immediately  after  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  were  teeming  and  terrible.  The  war  left  thir 
teen  struggling  commonwealths,  that  did  not  know  whether 
they  were  sovereign  republics  or  coordinated  states.  They 
were  half  bound  together,  and  half  held  apart,  by  the  Arti 
cles  of  Confederation.  The  Articles,  adopted  by  the  last 
of  the  colonies  as  late  as  1781,  established  the  Continental 
Congress  on  a  constitutional  basis.  Previous  to  that  time, 
it  had  acted  under  a  tacit  concession  of  authority  from  the 
several  States  that  was  only  partial  at  best.  It  had  waged 
war,  raised  armies,  built  navies,  entered  into  an  alliance, 
contracted  debts,  and  otherwise  borne  itself  as  a  body 
having  sovereign  powers,  whereas  it  had  only  such  authority 
as  no  one  intervened  to  prevent. 

Congress  was  made  up  of  delegates  appointed  yearly 
by  the  States.  No  State  had  less  than  two  nor  more  than 
seven  delegates.  Votes  were  taken  by  States,  each  State 
having  one,  without  regard  to  population  or  relative  impor 
tance.  Money  could  not  be  appropriated  for  national 
purposes  without  the  consenting  vote  of  nine  States  in 
Congress;  the  same  number  was  required  for  much  trivial 
but  needful  legislation. 

The  powers  of  this  representative  body  were  strictly 
circumscribed.  The  several  States  had  strict  ideas  concern 
ing  their  sovereign  rights,  and  a  horror  of  any  strong  cen 
tralization  of  authority.  The  idea  of  independence  had 
been  exaggerated  and  distorted  in  the  public  mind  until  it 
was  leading  to  anarchy.  The  Confederation  was  nothing 
more  than  a  bond  of  friendship  between  the  contracting 
commonwealths,  insuring  to  citizens  of  the  respective 
States  equal  rights  in  all  States,  and  combining  certain 
functions  of  government  in  Congress. 

Congress  could  declare  war,  make  treaties,  send  and 
receive  ambassadors,  adjudicate  disputes  between  States, 


JOHN  ADAMS     (From  the  Copley  portrait  in  Memorial  Hall,  Harvard  University, 
Cambridge,  Massachusetts) 


CONCERNING   DIVERS   MATTERS 


71 


and  attend  to  Indian  affairs.  The  States  themselves  could 
do  none  of  these  things.  Congress  controlled  the  army, 
but  was  provided  with  no  means  of  raising  troops,  except 
through  requisitions  on  the  States,  so  great  was  the  fear  of 
a  standing  army.  But  vital  and  necessary  powers  were  not 
accorded  to  Congress.  It  could  neither  im 
pose  taxes  nor  control  commerce.  It  could 
do  nothing  more  than  ask  the  States  for 
money,  and  suggest  local  legislation 
in  many  matters  of  national  conse 
quence.  The  States  themselves  could 
establish  such  imposts  as  they  saw 
fit,  with  no  other  restriction  than 
that  they  must  not  contravene  any 
treaties  entered  into  by  Congress. 
The  States  shared  with  Congress  the 
right  to  coin  money. 

Chaos  was  inevitable.     The  affairs' 
of  the    United    States,    as    soon   as   the 
cessation  of  war  had  removed   an   impel 
ling  necessity  to  work  in  accord,  fell  into 
confusion.     If  the   States    had   worked   in 
better  harmony,  the  war  might  have  been 
terminated    several    years    sooner.     There  Collection  at  Nashville} 
was  jealousy  between  them;    there  were  bitter  local  pre 
judices;    the  people  could  not  communicate  and  become 
acquainted  because   of   geographical    isolation  due  to   the 
difficulties  of  travel.     Many  of  them  wrangled  over  terri 
tory  that  had  been  in  dispute  since  the  early  and  conflicting 
royal  grants.     New  York  and  New  Hampshire  quarreled 
for  the  Green  Mountains;   Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut 
squabbled   for   the   valley  of   Wyoming.     Others   were   in 
bitter  commercial  rivalry.     They  imposed  commercial  re 
strictions   on   each    other,    through    local    imposts.     They 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


would  neither  establish  the  tariffs  that  Congress  requested, 
not  contribute  the  funds  asked  for.  Congress,  frantic  for 
money,  became  bankrupt.  Adams  was  in  Holland  much  of 
the  time,  begging  for  loans  from  Dutch  usurers.  Congress 
frequently  drew  on  him  for  sums  he  had  still  to  gather  in 
Amsterdam,  the  draft  being  in  the  hands  of  the  bankers. 
Going  to  England  to  negotiate  a  commercial  treaty,  he 
found  England  at  a  loss  to  know  whether  she  was  dealing 
with  one  republic  or  thirteen,  and  she  stood  aloof.  Inci 
dentally,  England's  great  men  snubbed  John  Adams. 

Secession  began  to  be  threatened.  A  dispute  arose 
concerning  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River.  At 
the  time  when  England  made  the  treaty  of  peace  with  the 
United  States  she  was  at  war  with  Spain.  A  secret  clause 
had  been  introduced  in  the  treaty  stipulating  that  in  case 
England,  through  her  war  with  Spain,  should  acquire  the 
Spanish  possessions  in  America,  the  southern  boundary  of 
the  United  States  would  be  a  line  running  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Yazoo  to  the  Chatahoochee.  When  Spain  learned 
of  this  she  closed  the  Mississippi  River  to  American  boats. 
American  settlers  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  distressed 
by  this  state  of  affairs,  for  it  shut  them  off  from  their 
principal  means  of  transportation,  made  complaint  to  Con 
gress.  At  this  time  John  Jay  was  negotiating  a  treaty  with 
Spain,  in  which  he  was  endeavoring  to  ob 

tain    certain    com-   • 
mercial     conces 
sions.     Spain 
was     willing 
to   surrender 
either  the  nav 
igation   of   the 
Mississippi  %or 
the   commercial 


HOUSE  IN  WHICH  SHAYS 
WAS  CAPTURED,  NEAR 
PETERSHAM,  MASSACHUSETTS 


CONCERNING  DIVERS   MATTERS  73 

advantages  sought,  but  not  both.  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
threatened  to  revolt  if  the  Mississippi  were  closed.  New 
England,  which  had  lately  commenced  to  make  cotton  and 
woolen  goods,  threatened  to  secede  if  the  commercial  treaty 
were  not  consum 
mated.  At  the  same 
time,  a  free  State, 
calling  itself  the  State 
of  Franklin,  was 
established  in  the 
mountains  of  North 
Carolina,  with  John 
Sevier  as  its  presi 
dent. 

Credit,  state  and 
national,  was  dead. 
There  was  little  coin 
in  circulation;  what 
there  was  had  vary 
ing  values  in  the  sev 
eral  States.  Foreign 
creditors  were  clam 
oring;  Congress  was 
beseeching  the  States  j^MES  MADrsoN  ^From  ffte  portrait  by  Gilbert 

for    money;     Citizens  Stuart,  at  Bowdoin  College) 

were  shouting  refusals  to  be  taxed.  In  the  midst  of  this 
dark  period  there  burst  a  shower  of  paper  money.  States 
began  to  issue  script  and  currency,  based  on  nothing  more 
tangible  than  hope  and  a  promise.  Merchants  refusing  to 
accept  the  money,  laws  were  passed  in  some  States  com 
pelling  them  to  do  so.  Panic  came;  nothing  was  stable. 
Anarchy  overhung  the  country.  Strong  men  despaired. 
The  necessity  for  closer  union  was  obvious  to  thoughtful 
men;  but  those,  in  much  greater  numbers,  whose  opinions 


74 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


were  arrived  at  through  feelings  and  prejudices,  feared  a 
bond  more  closely  knit. 

Then  fate  took  a  hand  —  fate,  which  in  1781  had  begun 
to  work  her  way  with  the  States,  when  the  confederation 
was  before  the  several  commonwealths  for  adoption.  All 


JOHN  TYLER,  THE  ELDER     (From  the  portrait  by  James  Worrell  in 
the  Virginia  State  Library  at  Richmond) 

had  accepted  it  except  Maryland.  Maryland  was  reluc 
tant  because  small,  and  fearful  of  her  larger  neighbors. 
Most  of  the  States  had  possessions  in  the  West  —  remnants 
of  old  royal  grants  and  charters.  Maryland  would  consent 
to  the  Articles  of  Confederation  if  these  States  would  turn 
over  to  Congress  their  holdings  in  the  West.  The  States 
agreed;  Connecticut  only  withholding  a  certain  strip  in 


CONCERNING  DIVERS   MATTERS 


75 


what   is   now   Ohio,   called  the   Western   Reserve.     That 
gave  the  States  something  tangible  in  common. 

Fate  next  intervened  through  a  man  named  Daniel 
Shays,  of  Massachusetts.  In  Massachusetts  there  had 
been  a  bitter  contest  between  merchants  and  farmers  and 
their  allied  interests  over  paper  money.  The  farmers 
wanted  it;  the  merchants  and  moneyed  men  did  not.  The 


WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON     (From  the  painting  by  Rossiter) 

measure  was  defeated.  Riots  followed;  the  farmers  in 
veighed  against  the  rich  men  and  men  of  influence.  They 
were  especially  bitter  against  lawyers.  After  several  mobs 
formed  and  dispersed,  Daniel  Shays,  who  had  been  a  cap 
tain  in  the  Continental  army,  gathered  about  him  a  band 
more  threatening  than  any  others  had  been,  and  started 
making  a  great  noise  throughout  the  land.  In  his  force 
were  many  of  the  veterans  whom  Gates  would  have  incited 
to  mutiny  at  Newburgh.  Governor  Bowdoin  raised  a  mili 
tia  force  and  sent  General  Lincoln  to  stop  the  uprising. 
There  was  a  skirmish  and  a  chase,  and  Shays's  insurrection 
was  no  more.  Shays  and  1 50  of  his  followers  were  captured 
at  breakfast  on  Sunday,  at  a  farm-house  near  Petersham. 


76  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

But  the  insurrection  had  done  immense  good.  It 
sobered  the  people.  They  did  not  want  governments  to 
be  repudiated.  They  traced  the  outbreak  to  its  source  in 
federal  weakness,  and  knew  that,  if  the  country  was  to  sur 
vive,  it  must  have  more  unified  virility. 

We  here  may  observe  again  the  hand  of  chance,  weaving 
a  web  to  hold  the  States  together.  In  1785  Virginia  and 


THE  PARLOR  AT  GREENWAY  TO-DAY 

Maryland,  through  delegates,  met  at  Washington's  home 
in  Mount  Vernon  to  arrange  commercial  affairs.  It 
was  found  necessary  to  invite  Pennsylvania  to  join  them. 
There  was  a  man  in  the  Virginia  legislature  who  went 
further;  a  quiet,  slight,  timid  little  man,  a  man  who  would 
get  up  on  the  floor  of  the  assembly  like  a  schoolboy  when  he 
found  it  necessary  to  talk  —  he  never  made  speeches  - 
but  who  would  have  every  member  listening  and  learning. 
This  was  James  Madison. 

Madison,  in  the  autumn  of  1785,  prepared  a  motion 
calling  for  a  commercial  conference  to  be  held  by  delegates 
from  all  the  States,  to  devise  a  uniform  commercial  system. 


CONCERNING  DIVERS   MATTERS  79 

He  did  not  present  the  motion,  but  induced  John  Tyler, 
father  of  the  President  of  that  name,  to  stand  sponsor  for  it. 
Tyler  was  a  fierce  zealot  for  States  rights;  he  could  intro 
duce  such  a  motion  without  stampeding  the  States  rights 
men. 

For  the  time  being  the  motion  aroused  little  interest. 
Presently  there  came  from  Maryland  a  proposal  to  the 
same  effect.  It  was  taken  up  and  carried.  Commissioners 
from  all  the  States  were  invited  to  meet  the  first  Monday 
of  September,  1786,  at  Annapolis. 

On  September  u,  1786,  commissioners  from  Virginia, 
Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  New  York 
gathered  in  the  State  House  at  Annapolis.  Massachusetts 
and  New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island  and  North  Carolina 
appointed  commissioners  who  did  not  see  fit  to  come. 
Georgia,  Connecticut,  and  South  Carolina  paid  no  heed  to 
Virginia's  invitation. 

The  commissioners  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to 
attempt  anything,  with  only  five  States  present.  But  before 
they  adjourned,  they  adopted  an  address,  drawn  up  by 
Alexander  Hamilton,  and  sent  it  to  all  the  States.  The 
address  urged  them  to  send  commissioners  to  meet  at 
Philadelphia  on  the  second  Monday  of  the  following  May 
"to  devise  such  further  provision  as  shall  appear  to  them 
necessary  to  render  the  constitution  of  the  federal  govern 
ment  adequate  to  the  exigencies  of  the  Union,  and  to  report 
to  Congress  such  an  act  as,  when  agreed  to  by  them,  and 
confirmed  by  the  legislature  of  every  State,  would  effec 
tually  provide  for  the  same." 

The  suggestion  was  brought  forward  for  the  approval 
of  Congress  in  October.  Rufus  King  of  Massachusetts 
maintained  that  the  proceedings  of  a  convention,  which 
was  an  irregular  gathering  without  authority,  could  not 
properly  be  brought  before  Congress,  and  that  the  States 


8o 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


should  pay  no  attention  to  the  address.     This  was  flattering 
Congress,  and  that  body  refused  to  sanction  the  plan. 

But  fate  was  still  active.  With  that  grim  satisfaction 
with  which  fate  amuses  herself  and  others  who  can  be 
amused  with  it,  the  agency  chosen  to  bring  the  convention 
to  pass  comprised  some  of  the  strongest  enemies  of  cen 
tralized  government.  It  happened  after  this  manner. 

Congess,  in  financial  despair,  begged 
to  amend  the  Articles,  per 
mitting  that  body  to  set 
up  imposts,  uniform  and 
general,  through  the  States. 
After  years  of  wrangling,  all 
the  States  acceded  to  this, 
except  New  York.  New 
York,  under  Governor 
George  Clinton,  was  well 
satisfied  with  the  trend  trade 
was  then  taking.  She  was 
growing  strong  and  rich  again,  after  having  been  com 
pletely  ruined  by  the  war.  Her  prosperity  was  being  built 
up  by  impost  laws,  made  to  suit  the  situation;  she  did  not 
desire  Congress  to  meddle.  So,  in  spite  of  Hamilton's 
efforts,  the  impost  amendment  to  the  Articles  of  Confedera 
tion  was  defeated  in  the  New  York  Assembly. 

Up  to  that  time  the  convention  proposal  had  not  at 
tracted  much  attention.  But  when  the  amendment  was 
known  to  have  failed,  people  realized  that  there  was  no 
hope  for  Congress  and  the  Union  unless  Congress  should 
be  vested  with  more  certain  and  absolute  power.  More 
over,  there  was  the  tremendous  moral  effect  of  Shays's 
rebellion,  and  the  disorderly  behavior  of  little  Rhode 
Island,  which  went  on  issuing  worthless  paper  money  and 
passing  laws  obliging  people  to  accept  it  as  legal  tender. 


THE  OLD  CAPITOL  AT  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND 
(From  an  old  print) 


CONCERNING  DIVERS  MATTERS 


81 


If  any  impulse  had  been  lacking,  it  was  furnished  now 
by  Virginia.  That  commonwealth  did  not  wait  for  an 
official  endorsement  of  the  convention  plan  by  Congress, 
but  went  ahead  and  named  its  own  delegates.  First  of 
them  was  George  Washington.  At  once  there  was  interest 

in  the  proposed 
gathering,  if  not 
enthusiasm.  Men 
were  reassured; 
they  felt  that  the 
movement  had 
substan- 


THE    OLD    SENATE    CHAMBER,    ANNAPOLIS 
HOUSE  AS  RESTORED 


STATE 


tial  and  worthy  of 
attention.  Other 
States  followed. 
Rufus  King  told 
Congress  that  it 
could  not  possibly 
recognize  the  call 
issued  by  the  An 
napolis  meeting;  but  suggested  the  desirability  of  calling  a 
meeting  of  commissioners  from  the  several  States  in  Phila 
delphia  on  the  second  Monday  in  May  to  deliberate  on 
a  more  efficient  form  of  union.  With  such  twistings,  dear 
to  a  lawyer's  heart,  did  he  reconcile  Congress  to  an  endorse 
ment  of  that  plan. 

Spring  came  and  the  time  approached  when  the  dele 
gates  were  to  meet  in  Philadelphia.  Fontaine  Stevens, 
formerly  of  Virginia,  and  a  soldier  of  the  war,  on  his  way 
from  Massachusetts  to  revisit  scenes  of  his  youth,  sojourned 


82  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

for  a  few  days  in  New  York  City.  On  the  eve  of  his  de 
parture  he  betook  himself  to  pay  his  respects  to  Hamilton, 
with  whom  he  had  had  some  acquaintance,  and  with  whom 
his  cousin  John  Stevens  had  been  in  close  friendship. 

He  found  Hamilton  alone,  busily  engaged  with  a  mul 
titude  of  papers  and  surrounded  by  volumes  and  pam 
phlets.  "I  am  merely  arranging  in  comprehensive  form 
my  views  of  the  federation  that  we  should  inaugurate 
among  the  States  to  insure  the  perpetuity  and  greatest  effi 
ciency  of  the  union  between  them,"  he  explained,  when  he 
had  saluted  Fontaine  and  bidden  him  to  a  seat. 

"We  are  on  the  eve  of  a  great  work,  General  Hamilton, 
and  a  work  in  which  you  have  already  played  a  part  that 
will  fasten  your  name  more  securely  on  the  tablets  of  his 
tory,"  observed  Fontaine. 

The  general  acknowledged  the  compliment  with  an 
inclination  of  the  head.  "I  am  not  as  sanguine  as  yourself 
that  we  are  really  about  to  accomplish  something,  Mr. 
Stevens,"  he  replied,  thoughtfully. 

"I  cannot  see  how  we  shall  fail,  sir.  The  people  of  the 
States  seem  more  than  ready  to  take  the  step.  Speaking 
for  my  part  of  the  country  I  can  be  certain,  and  we  have 
encouraging  reports  from  elsewhere." 

"The  people,  perhaps,  have  a  vague  idea  that  they 
desire  something  in  the  way  of  change,  Mr.  Stevens," 
rejoined  Hamilton.  "Indeed,  I  am  willing  to  concede 
that  they  want  a  change.  The  people  frequently  do.  But 
I  am  doubtful,  I  must  confess,  whether  they  will  be  able 
to  hit  upon  anything  that  will  meet  with  approval  sufficiently 
general  to  be  of  any  value." 

"You  do  not  credit  them  with  great  discretion  and 
wisdom,  general,"  laughed  Fontaine. 

"I  credit  them,  I  believe,  with  all  that  they  have  dem 
onstrated  themselves  as  entitled  to,"  returned  Hamilton. 


CONCERNING  DIVERS   MATTERS  83 

"It  is  not  conducive  to  a  hearty  respect  of  the  people  at 
large  to  reflect  upon  what  has  happened  in  this  country 
within  the  last  few  years.  For  seven  years  they  fought  for 
principles  which,  to  my  mind,  they  did  not  fully  understand 
and  somewhat  overrated.  Having  won  their  struggle,  they 
immediately  fell  to  quarrel 
ing  among  themselves  over 
trivialities;  they  were  con 
tent  to  be  consumed  by  petty 
jealousies,  rather  than  to 
permit  general  benefits  at 
some  possible  slight  sacri 
fice  of  their  local  interests. 
States  have  opposed  such 
salutary  measures  as  an 
unfortunate  Congress  could 
devise.  It  is  not  reassuring 
to  me,  I  promise  you,  Mr. 
Stevens." 

"The  States,  it  is  true, 
have  been  guilty  of  jealousies 
and  controversies,  but  these 

Seem  nOW  tO  be  forgotten  in    THE  GRAVE  OF  JOHN  HANCOCK  IN  THE 
(.      ,  OLD  GRANARY  BURYING  GROUND, 

a  present  sense   of  the  ne-  BOSTON 

cessity  for  forming  a  closer  union,"  argued  Fontaine. 

"A  present  sense.  You  have  pointed  it  well.  That 
is  their  present  sense.  What  will  be  their  sense  to-morrow  ? 
How  soon  after  we  shall  have  formed  a  union  shall  we  have 
another  Shays's  rebellion  ?  How  can  we  look  forward  to 
dwelling  in  harmonious  security  with  such  a  member  of  the 
family  as  irascible  and  erratic  Rhode  Island,  for  instance, 
or  greedy,  grasping  New  York  ?  For  my  part,  Mr.  Stevens, 
and  I  am  frank  to  say  it,  I  would  have  these  State  lines, 
these  petty  prejudices  that  are  built  upon  nothing  but 


84 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


geography,  and  this  clutching  for  a  little  local  power  and 
prestige  —  I  would  have  all  this  wiped  out." 

"You  cannot  remove  from  men's  minds  the  traditions 
of  centuries,  General  Hamilton.  The  men  of  Massa 
chusetts,  of  Virginia,  even  those  of  New  York,  have  come 
from  long  lines  of  ancestors  who  wrested  what  they  now 
enjoy  from  savage  Indians  and  more  savage  nature.  We 
cannot  wonder  that  they  hold  dear  what  has  cost  so  dear." 
"  Nevertheless,  I  would  do  away  with  it  all.  And  I 
would  weaken  the  power  of  the  people  themselves  to  do 
mischief.  We  have  at  hand,  in  England,  an  example  of 
the  highest  form  of  representative  government  yet  devised. 
There  they  have  a  body  that  places  a  restraint  on  the  un 
intelligent  and  prejudiced  masses, —  a  counterbalance.  I 
would  have  such  a  body  in  our  own  government.  I  will 
grant  you  a  representative  legislature,  one  branch  to  be 
chosen  directly  by  the  whole  people.  But  for  the  other 
branch,  and  for  the  chief  executive,  I 
would  require  that  the  electors 
have  a  property  and  educational 
qualification.  I  would  insure 
a  higher  order  of  intelligence 
for  that  body,  and  give  it  restrain- 
I  ing  power  over  the  lower.  Further 
more,  I  would  break  down  State 
lines  by  having  the  chief 
executive  appoint  the 
governors  of  the  several 
States,  and  I  would 
vest  them  with  au 
thority  to  interfere 
with  any  pernicious 
local  legislation,"  thus 
argued  Hamilton. 


ABRAHAM  YATES 


CONCERNING  DIVERS  MATTERS 


"Then  you  would  never  unite  the  States  into  one  gov 
ernment,"  asserted  Fontaine,  ready  to  take  issue  with 
Hamilton. 

"I  do  not  expect  to  have  my  plan  adopted.  I  shall  go 
no  further  than  to  outline  it  before  the  convention,  as  a 
suggestion  of  what  I  think  would  promote  our  common 
welfare  and  insure  us  permanent  prosperity  and  strength 
as  a  nation.  But  I  shall  not  urge  it,  knowing  as  well  as  any 
can  know  that  it  has  not  the  elements  of  popularity;  which 
rather  encourages  me  to  greater  faith  in  it,"  he  added,  with 
a  smile.  "You  say  there  is  some  enthusiasm  in  your  own 
State  for  the  union,  Mr.  Stevens?"  he  resumed,  closing  the 
discussion  of  the  elements  of  the  problem  before  the  States. 

"A  marked  and  lively  interest,  to  say  the  least,  Gen 
eral  Hamilton.  The  people  at  large,  so  far  as  I  can  gather 
from  observation,  are  generally  favorable,  and  our  oppo 
nents  are  not  bitter.  Samuel  Adams  is,  I  believe,  rather 
dubious  and  inclined  to  be  doubtful  of  the 
wisdom  of  further  consolidation.  John 
Hancock  is  apparently  with  him." 

"Here  is  another  illustration  of  the 
untrustworthy  character  of  popular  gov 
ernment,  Mr.  Stevens,"  inter 
posed   General   Hamilton. 
"Two  months  after  your 
Governor  Bowdoin  had 
suppressed  Shays 's  re 
bellion,  his  constituents 
turned     about    and 
elected  Hancock  gov 
ernor." 

"lam  not  willing  to 
concede  that  that  is  more 
than  a  coincidence,"  said 


JOHN  LANSING     (From  an  etching  by  Alben 
Rosenthat) 


86  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Fontaine.  "For  the  rest  of  our  leaders,  there  are  many 
who  will  hesitate  to  deprive  Massachusetts  of  any  of  her 
prerogatives;  but  it  is  a  State  where  your  despised  public 
opinion  finds  quick  expression  through  town  meetings,  and 
I  believe  that  the  will  of  the  people,  which  I  regard  as 
favorable,  will  have  its  way." 

"  I  could  wish  the  same  were  true  in  New  York,"  Ham 
ilton  remarked,  shaking  his  head  dubiously.  "The  State 
is  in  an  era  of  prosperity,  and  a  strong  faction,  headed  by 
George  Clinton,  is  opposed  to  any  change  —  which  is  an 
other  point  in  favor  of  my  argument  to  curtail  the  powers 
of  the  States  to  do  mischief  and  to  block  measures  that  do 
not  look  to  the  benefit  of  all.  Governor  Clinton  is  the 
strongest  man  politically  that  we  have,  and  holds  the  State. 
It  was  only  by  great  exertion  that  we  were  able  to  send 
delegates  to  the  convention  at  all,  and  the  two  who  were 
chosen  as  my  colleagues,  John  Lansing  and  Robert  Yates, 
were  frankly  and  avowedly  selected  for  the  purpose  of 
interfering  with  and  preventing,  if  possible,  any  satisfac 
tory  outcome.  But  we  shall  struggle  and  hope.  Down  in 
Virginia  there  is  a  quiet  little  man  with  a  strong  head,  and 
he  has  taken  up  this  problem.  He  has  already  brought 
this  convention  to  pass,  which  is  much.  Perhaps  he  may 
do  more." 

"You  mean  Mr.  Madison?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Madison." 


CHAPTER  V 
LOVE    AND    A    LETTER 

IT  was  midsummer  in  the  year   1788.     Margaret  Rut 
gers  sat  by  an  open  window  in  the  home  of  Aaron  Burr 
in  Richmond  Hill.     Since  the  death  of  her  mother,  leaving 
her  alone  and  dependent,  she  had     ^f^'  been 

here,  largely  through  the 
influence  of  Nicholas 
Snell,  which  was  a 
strange    turn    of 
fate.   She  cared 
nothing  at  all 
for  Snell,  but 
his  passion, 
for   her    did 
not  seem  to 
abate  in  the 
least.     He 
seemed,  how 
ever,  to  have 
made  of  himself 
the  only  friend  to 
whom  she  could   turn 
in  the  time  of  her  trouble  . 
and  bereavement.  AARON  BURR 

At  that  time  a  close  friendship  had  been  formed  between 
Burr  and  Snell.  It  would  be  more  accurate  to  describe 
the  connection  as  a  form  of  hero  worship  on  Snell's  part, 
or  of  idolatry,  a  form  of  devotion  of  which  Burr  received 
more  than  is  given  to  most  men.  He  had  already  won  to 

87 


88  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

himself  a  coterie  of  young  men,  attracted  by  the  brilliancy 
of  the  man,  and  held  to  him  by  his  personal  magnetism. 

Through  Snell,  it  came  about  that  Margaret  was  re 
ceived  into  the  household  of  Burr  on  Richmond  Hill, —  an 
adjustment  of  her  affairs  that  she  was  somewhat  more 
ready  to  permit  because  of  a  slight  acquaintance  between 
her  mother  and  Mrs.  Burr  in  the  days  when  the  latter  was 

Mistress  Prevost.  That  she 
might  accept  the  hospi 
tality  of  the  Burrs  more 
freely,  she  was  indulged 
in  the  title  of  governess 
and  humored  in  a  little 
tradition  that  she  cared 
for  the  younger  chil 
dren,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Prevost  had  several 
when  married  to  the 
young  lawyer. 

Burr  at  this  time  was, 

BURR'S  BIRTHPLACE  AT  NEWARK,  NEW  JERSEY  next  to  Hamilton,  the  most 

prominent  and  successful  lawyer  in  New  York.  Grandson 
of  Jonathan  Edwards  and  son  of  Aaron  Burr,  president 
of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  or  Princeton,  he  enjoyed 
an  advantage  of  birth  to  which  was  added  a  striking 
fascination  of  address  and  person.  He  was  a  perfect  type 
of  the  elegant  gentleman  of  the  last  century.  Of  superior 
intellect  and  undoubted  ability,  his  success  was  immediate 
and  pronounced;  the  number  and  importance  of  his  cases 
was  such  as  to  bring  him  renown  and  abundance  of  income. 
He  had  only  one  rival.  That  rival  was  Hamilton;  already 
their  lives  had  begun  to  run  athwart  each  other. 

Margaret,  one  day  while  seated  by  the  window  in  this 
man's  house,  gave  no  heed  to  the  beautiful  prospect  of  lawn 


LOVE  AND  A  LETTER 


89 


and  grove  and  field  and  river  that  lay  before  her;   neither 
did  she  see  or  hear  the  children  playing  there.     She  was  bent 

above  a  letter.     It  was  mottled 
with  her  tears,  and  her  hands 
trembled  as  she  read  it. 
"My    Precious    Little 
Love,"  it  ran, —  it  will 
already  have  been  sur 
mised   that   the  letter 
was    from     Trumbull 
Erskine;     "you    must 
not  by  any  means  infer 
from  my  long  silence 
that  my  ardor  for  you 
has  cooled,  for  such  is  by 

RICHMOND  HILL  no     means 

the  truth.  I  have  deferred  writing  to 
you,  from  day  to  day  and 
from  month  to  month,  in 
the  continual  hope  that  in 
another  day,  or  another 
month,  I  might  have  some 
better  news  for  you. 

"I  seem  to  have  had 
nothing  but  misfortune 
since  the  close  of  the  war, 
which  drove  me  from  my 
home  in  America,  where  my 
prospects  were  so  bright, 
and  from  you,  by  whose  side 
I  was  so  happy.  First,  there 
was  the  flux  of  refugees  to 
Halifax  and  the  consequent  overcrowd 
ing  of  all  lines  of  operation  there,  so 

ST.  PAUL'S,  EAST  CHES 
TER,  NEW  YORK:  HERE 
BURR  PLEADED  SOME  OF 
His  IMPORTANT  CASES 
WHILE  THE  CHURCH  WAS 
USED  AS  A  COURT  OF 
JUSTICE 


I 


90  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

that  I  was  forced  to  go  to  Quebec.  You  know  how  one 
disaster  after  another  overtook  me  in  that  wild  place,  and 
how  finally  I  was  forced  to  leave. 

"Here  in  England  I  have  done  little  better  as  yet.  The 
cost  of  living  is  so  much  greater  that  what  little  store  of 
money  I  had  from  my  uncle  has  been  all  but  dissipated. 
I  do  not  mean  that  I  have  been  dissipated,  for  my  life  has 
been  such  as  it  should  be  on  the  part  of  one  betrothed,  and 
in  meager  circumstances.  I  am  sometimes  constrained  to 
believe  that  there  is  a  conspiracy  on  foot  here  against  me. 
I  fancy  I  find  traces  of  it  at  every  turn.  I  can  hardly 
account  for  it,  unless  it  is  because  of  my  attachment  to  an 
American  girl,  knowledge  of  which  I  have  inadvertently 
permitted  to  get  abroad.  But  you  need  have  no  fears;  I 
shall  fight  through  the  odium  of  it  and  live  to  bring  you 
back  here  in  triumph. 

"I  have  purposely  written  this  much  in  gloom,  because 
I  have  a  glimmer  of  hope  to  impart.  I  have  lately  made 
the  acquaintance  of  one  who  is  master  of  a  ship,  who  has 
kindly  offered  to  take  me  aboard  his  vessel  in  the  capacity 
of  an  apprentice,  or  something  of  that  sort,  so  that  I  may 
learn  seafaring.  There  is  no  immediate  remuneration  in  it; 
in  fact,  I  am  under  some  pecuniary  obligations  to  the  man, 
which  he  hopes  I  shall  become  proficient  enough  to  dis 
charge  before  the  end  of  our  cruise;  but  in  the  end  there 
promises  much,  for  the  sea  is  ever  lucrative  to  those  who 
follow  it.  I  am  sure  I  shall  enjoy  the  life,  for  I  was  always 
fond  of  the  sea.  And  when  we  have  a  vessel  of  my  own, 
my  beloved,  we  shall  fly  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  on  .our 
wings  of  white.  Shall  we  not? 

"But  the  best  I  have  left  for  the  last.  Our  voyage  will 
perhaps  take  us  to  New  York;  in  fact,  I  am  quite  certain 
it  will.  And  when  we  sail  into  the  harbor,  I  shall  come  to 
see  you,  despite  the  risk  I  shall  run  in  coming  ashore  in  that 


LOVE  AND   A  LETTER  93 

hostile  port.  But  do  not  be  alarmed  for  my  safety  when  I 
land,  for  I  shall  exercise  every  precaution,  and  avoid  being 
known  by  some  manner  of  disguise.  I  presume  your 
patron  Burr  will  do  nothing  to  embarrass  me,  should  he 
ascertain  who  it  is  that  comes  to  see  you. 

"You  cannot  write  me  in  reply  to  this,  for  before  your 
letter  could  come  I  shall  be  far  at  sea,  speeding  to  the  Medi 
terranean,  in  the  good  ship  Marble  Halls,  whence  I  shall 
come  to  you.  Ever  your  loving  swain  and  Jack  Salt, 

"TRUMBULL  ERSKINE." 

Feeble  as  the  letter  was,  and  deficient  in  the  quality  that 
indicates  strength  in  a  man,  it  was  nevertheless  a  source  of 
great  comfort  and  consolation  to  Margaret.  It  meant  that 
her  lover  still  loved  and  would  come  to  her.  It  fed  her 
hope;  it  saved  her  from  a  dull  despair  into  which  she  had 
felt  herself  sinking.  It  was  four  years  since  Trumbull  had 
gone.  In  those  four  years  she  had  received  letters,  cata 
loguing  the  failures  that  had  been  imposed  upon  him 
by  a  world  coldly  indifferent  to  the  interesting  circum 
stance  that  he  was  the  beloved  of  Margaret  Rutgers.  In 
that  time,  too,  another,  to  whom  had  fallen  opportunities 
of  being  her  friend,  had  besought  her  heart  with  a  per 
sistency  that  hemmed  her  in  and  a  subtlety  that  baffled 
refusal.  Of  late  she  had  felt  herself  slipping  into  a  union 
with  Nicholas  Snell;  now  she  was  strengthened  again,  for 
another  period  at  least.  If  Trumbull  would  only  take  her 
with  him  when  he  came,  and  let  her  share  his  hardships 
and  help  him  above  his  poverty,  she  would  be  happy  a.t  last, 
and  safe. 

Thinking  of  her  lover,  she  turned  her  dimmed  eyes 
toward  the  river  wistfully,  with  a  sigh.  As  she  gazed  ab 
stractedly  across  the  lawn  that  lay  before  her,  she  saw  two 
men  crossing  it  toward  the  house.  One  of  them,  by  his 
dress,  small  stature,  and  elegance  of  gait,  she  recognized 


94 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


as  Burr.  The  other  was  a  stranger,  tall,  straight,  lithe,  with 
a  grace  equal  to  that  of  his  companion,  but  of  a  different 
character.  It  was  rather  the  smooth  flowing  grace  of  nature 
than  the  cultivated  elegance  of  the  man  of  exquisite  art. 

As  they  approached,  Burr,  glancing  up  at  the  window, 
waved  his  hand  in  salute,  and  whispered  to  his  companion, 

slyly,  and  in  a 
manner  that 
had  a  subtle 
effect  of  flat 
tery,  even  at 
the  distance. 
The  other, 
looking  up  at 
the  words, 
checked  his 
gait  and 
gazed,  as  one 
looking  upon 
a  picture.  In 
a  moment  he 
withdrew  his 
eyes  in  con 
fusion,  as 
though  sud- 

JOHN    JAY     (From   the  Stuart    portrait  in   Bedford   House,     demy      aware 
Katonah,  New  York)  {hat      he      Was 

staring,  and  continued  his  way  toward  the  house.  Burr, 
casting  a  furtive  glance  at  the  girl,  smiled  and  nodded  his 
head  wisely.  Margaret,  rising  from  her  chair  by  the  win 
dow,  covered  with  blushes,  was  making  haste  to  leave  the 
room,  when  something  held  her.  Perhaps  it  was  a  strange 
halo  of  fascination  and  romance  about  the  slender  face  of 
the  stranger;  in  the  depth  of  light  in  his  hazel  eyes;  in  the 


LOVE  AND  A  LETTER  95 

color  that  played  in  his  hair,  which  he  wore  long  and 
curling,  after  the  fashion  of  frontiersmen.  Perhaps  it  was 
a  supersensitive  misgiving  lest  her  departure  might  fall 
under  some  misinterpretation.  Perhaps  it  was  sheer  femi 
ninity. 

Whatever  it  was  that  restrained  her,  she  turned  about 
and  went  back  to  her  chair,  pausing  for  a  moment  to  set 
her  hair  to  rights,  and  to  see  that  there  were  no  traces  of 
tears  in  the  corners  of  her  eyes.  By  way  of  absolution, 
she  kissed  the  letter  from  Trumbull,  and  thrust  it  into  her 
dress  at  the  moment  when  Aaron  Burr  entered,  followed 
by  the  stranger. 

"  Mistress  Margaret,"  said  Burr,  in  a  tone  that  was  the 
acme  of  cultivated  art,  and  with  a  bow  that  was  a  symphony 
of  motion,  "I  have  at  great  pains  prevailed  upon  this 
most  delightfully  interesting  young  man  to  come  to  my  home 
with,  me,  for  which  you  stand  under  great  obligations,  I 
assure  you.  He  can  tell  you  tales  of  our  Western  Indians 
and  the  brave  fellows  who  go  out  there  with  the  seeds  of 
civilization  that  will  make  your  little  heart  beat  faster  than 
ever  it  beat  in  our  late  war,  I  warrant  you.  Mistress  Rut 
gers,  Mr.  Sylvester  Stevens,  of  Kentucky,  companion  of 
Daniel  Boone,  James  Harrod,  and  that  enterprising  host 
of  brave  fellows  on  the  Western  frontier." 

Sylvester  knew  intimately  Harrod,  the  resolute  back 
woodsman  who  built  the  first  log  cabin  in  Kentucky,  and 
loved  him  for  his  gentle  nature  and  fatherly  protection  of 
those  about  him.  He  had  lived  with  Daniel  Boone  and  his 
devoted  wife,  and  revered  that  simple-hearted  frontiersman, 
who  never  wronged  a  human  being,  not  even  a  red  man. 
Knowing  them,  and  the  wonder  and  admiration  their  deeds 
had  inspired,  Stevens  was  always  ready  to  talk  of  the  pioneers 
who  had  blazed  the  trail  of  civilization  through  Ohio,  Ken 
tucky,  and  Tennessee,  of  their  readiness  to  defend  the  weak 


96 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


and  risk  their  lives  freely  to  recover  women  and  children 

carried  away  by  the  savages. 

As  he  spoke  Margaret  looked  closely  at  the  young  man. 

She  beheld  in  him  a  poet,  a  dreamer,  a  hero  of  romance. 

He  was  dressed  in  homespun,  which  sat  ill  upon  him;   his 

cheeks  were  brown,   his  hands  roughened.     It   was  clear 

that  he  was  unaccustomed 
to  the  amenities  of  civiliza 
tion;  yet  he  spoke  with 
an  air  of  native  dignity, 
of  unstudied  grace  and 
unconscious  composure  that 
heightened  the  lively  effect 
he  had  already  made  upon 
Margaret's  imagination. 

"Are  you  from  the  West 
then?"  she  asked,  with  gen 
uine  interest. 

"Yes,  Miss  Rutgers, 
From  Kentucky,  and  Ten- 

(After  the  portrait  by  nessee>  and  Ohio,  and  there- 
abouts.  It  would  be  hard 
to  say  where  I  do  come  from;  the  'West*  embraces  them 
all." 

"You  must  find  it  strange  enough  in  such  a  place  as 
New  York,  Mr.  Stevens,"  ventured  the  girl,  intending  to 
please  him  by  making  talk  about  his  manner  of  life. 

"Perchance  I  seem  more  strange  to  New  York  than  it 
does  to  me.  I  had  not  thought  of  that ;  I  had  only  thought 
that  it  is  all  very  entertaining  and  instructive." 

"Aha,  Mistress  Margaret,"  laughed  Burr,  looking  mer 
rily  on  her  with  his  brilliant  black  eyes,  "our  wild  man 
from  the  forest  is  not  so  much  at  a  loss  with  us  as  we 
should  be  with  him." 


PATRICK   HENRY 

J.  B.  Longacre) 


LOVE  AND  A  LETTER 


97 


Margaret,  disconcerted,  hung  her  head  and  murmured 
something  that  she  desired  should  be  an  apology. 

"I  meant  no  rebuke,"  returned  Sylvester,  with  a  faint 
smile. 

"Mr.  Stevens  has  come  this  distance  on  business  with 
me,"  Burr  remarked,  tactfully  leading  the  talk  away;  "and 
I  have  given  him  the  opportunity  to  see  your  good  friend 
in  action,  Mistress  Margaret." 

"My  good  friend,  Mr.  Burr?" 

"Ay.  Your  good  friend,  General  Hamilton.  It  is 
astonishing,  Master  Stevens,  how  this  innocent  little  creature 
lays  military  men  by  the  heels."  He  turned  toward  Syl 
vester,  inclining  his  head  toward  Margaret  at  the  same  time 
with  delicate  grace.  "Men  who  have  come  safe  through 
charges  and  assaults,  fall  before  one  volley  from  those  eyes, 
sir,  I  promise  you.  I  could,  perhaps,  name  half  a  dozen 
who  have  gone  down  so." 

"Mr.  Burr,  your  flattery  is  most  distressing  and  most 
ridiculous,  sir,"  pleaded  Margaret,  genuinely  embarrassed. 

"I  can  easily  believe  that  it  is  not  flattery,  Miss  Rut 
gers,"  observed  Sylvester.  "I  am  a  military  man  myself." 
He  said  it  solemnly,  seri 

ously, 


RED  TOP:    AT  ONE  TIME  THE  HOME  OF  PATRICK  HENRY 


98 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


in  a  manner  that  sent  a  cold  shiver  through  the  girl,  and  a 
warm  thrill. 

uOn  my  life,  Mr.  Stevens,  you  are  misplaced  in  the 
wilderness,"  laughed  Burr,  laying  his  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"Did  you  feel  repaid  for  your  journey  to  Poughkeepsie 
to  see  my  good  friend  in  action?"  asked  Margaret,  hasten 
ing  out  of  danger. 

"I  consider  it  one  of  the  sights  of  my  life,  Miss  Rut 
gers,"  returned  Sylvester,  in  a  glow  of  enthusiasm.  "I 


THE  GRAVE  OF  SAMUEL  ADAMS,  OLD  GRANARY  BURYING  GROUND,  BOSTON 

was  too  late  for  the  best  of  it,  but  I  saw  the  man  stand  there, 
so  tiny  that  I  could  almost  have  twirled  him  about  my  wrist, 
but  with  fire  flashing  from  his  eyes  and  his  head  raised  above 
the  heights  of  Parnassus;  and  from  his  lips  there  poured 
such  a  current  of  words  of  wisdom  as  would  bear  before  him 
a  universe.  It  was  not  eloquence;  it  was  not  rhetorical 
display,  but  living  words  of  truth  and  conviction  that  made 
him  a  giant,  standing  there  on  the  floor  of  the  Assembly. 
I  shall  not  soon  forget  it!" 


LOVE  AND   A  LETTER  99 

"To  which  I  might  add,  that  New  York  this  day  rati 
fied  the  Constitution;  so  that  now  there  remain  outside  the 
bond  only  North  Carolina  and  Rogue's  Island." 

"Is  it  true?"  asked  Margaret,  eagerly. 

"As  true  as  the  sun.  Melancthon  Smith  melted  long 
ago,  and  the  rest  of  Clinton's  henchmen  have  crumbled 
away,  one  by  one,  until  there  were  barely  enough  left  to 
make  a  close  contest,  when  it  went  to  a  vote." 

"I  am  glad,"  said  the  girl,  simply. 

Burr  smiled  complaisantly.  "You  have  a  beautiful, 
fresh  enthusiasm,  Miss  Rutgers,  that  does  you  credit,  and 
I  hope  you  may  be  a  prophetess  of  good  omen.  For  my 
part,  I  will  give  the  country  fifty  years  under  the  Constitu 
tion,  at  the  outside,  but  no  more." 

Sylvester  Stevens  flew  to  arms  at  once  in  defense  of 
the  Constitution,  and  there  fell  out  a  long  discussion  of  its 
merits  and  demerits.  There  had  been  many  such  since  the 
federal  convention  at  Philadelphia  closed  its  task  and  sub 
mitted  the  document  to  the  approval  of  the  States.  It  was 
at  best  a  compromise;  some  called  it  a  makeshift.  There 
perhaps  was  not  one  of  the  delegates  who  was  wholly  satis 
fied  with  it.  Madison  was  not;  Hamilton  was  far  from  it. 
But  both  knew  that  it  was  greatly  better  than  the  loose 
Articles  of  Confederation,  and  went  into  the  fight  defending 
the  document. 

When  the  Constitution  went  before  the  people  for  their 
approval  three  States  were  considered  the  crucial  points, 
Massachusetts,  Virginia,  and  New  York.  Massachusetts 
was  the  first  of  these  three  to  ratify  it.  Samuel  Adams, 
chairman  of  the  ratification  convention,  was  doubtful  until 
public  opinion  declared  itself.  Being  a  believer  in  public 
opinion,  he  went  over,  the  State  going  with  him. 

In  Virginia  the  contest  was  more  prolonged  and  bitter. 
There  able  men  were  arrayed  against  the  Constitution. 


100 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Patrick  Henry  opposed  it;   Edmund  Randolph,  one  of  the 
delegates  to  the  convention,  fought  against  its  adoption. 
It  was  Madison  who  won  the  fight  in  Vir 
ginia  with  his  steady,  plodding  tactics; 
always  ready  with  a  convincing  argu 
ment,  melting  objections,  explain 
ing  away  doubts,  until  there  were 
enough  convinced  to  give  the  rati- 
fiers  a  majority.     The  situation 
in  Virginia  was  rendered  more 
dramatic    by   the    circumstance 
that,  up  to  the  time  the  State  con 
vention  began  its  deliberations, 
only  eight  commonwealths  had 
accepted  the  document,  whereas 
nine  were  necessary  to  make  it 
effective.     As  it  happened,  Virginia 
was  not  the  ninth,  New  Hampshire 
having  anticipated  her  action  by  four 
days;  but  the  struggle  went  on  there 
under  the  stress  and  impetus  of  a  critical  situation. 

New  York  was  won  by  Hamilton  against  the  over 
whelming  majority  of  Governor  Clinton's  followers.  The 
final  struggle  was  over  the  ques 
tion  whether  New  York 
could  come  into  the  fed 
eral  union  condition 
ally,  reserving  the 
privilege  of  seceding 
in  case  she  failed  to 
secure  certain  amend 
ments  to  the  Constitu 
tion.  In  settling  this 
question  Hamilton 


DANIEL  BOONE     (After  the  portrait 
by  C.  Harding) 


THE  BOONE  MONUMENT  AT  BOONESBOROUGH,  KENTUCKY 


LOVE  AND  A  LETTER 


101 


secured  the  advice  of  Madison.  Could  a  State  adopt  the 
Constitution  and  later  withdraw  if  dissatisfied?  From 
Virginia's  representative,  who  had  done  more,  perhaps, 
to  frame  the  Constitution  than  any  other  individual,  came 
the  decisive  answer:  No,  such  a  thing  was  impossible. 
A  State  once  within  the  federal  union  was  within  the  fed 
eral  bond  forever.  There  could  be  no  such  thing  as 
constitutional  right  of  secession.  The  opposition  could 
not  be  silenced  nor  won  through  political  manipulation. 
They  had  to  be  converted  by  Hamilton,  and  so  they  were. 
Much  of  the  success  throughout  the  country  was  due  to  the 
" Federalist"  papers,  letters  written  by  him,  assisted  by 
Madison,  and  by  Jay  to  a  less  extent,  and  printed  in  the 
public  press.  The  "Federalist"  is  an  analysis  of  the 
Constitution  and  an  exposition  of  the  theory  of  government 
that  has  never  been  surpassed.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest 
achievements  of  Hamilton  and  the  friends 
of  the  Constitution. 


THE  SPRING  NEAR  BOONESBOROUGH,  KENTUCKY,  USED  BY  DANIEL  BOONE 


IO2 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


"Come,  sir,  we  tire  Mistress  Margaret,  who,  I  perceive, 
has  a  letter  to  read,"  laughed  Burr,  when  the  discussion 
had  run  to  great  length  and  some  heat.  With  that,  making 
some  pretty  farewells  to  Margaret,  he  left  her,  leading  Syl 
vester  with  him. 

Surprised  at  learning  that  Burr  had  seen  her  with,  the 
letter,  and  strangely  perturbed  by  the  look  with  which  the 
stranger  regarded  her  as  he  left,  Margaret  was  at  a  loss  for 
words,  and  watched  them  depart  in  silence,  save  for  a  formal 
phrase  or  two.  Presently,  still  oddly  affected  by  the  meet 
ing,  she  went  out  into  the  arbor  that  led  away  from  the 
grounds  of  Richmond  Hill,  to  dismiss  from  her  mind  the 
impression  the  man  had  left  upon  it,  and  to  read  her  letter 
again. 

There,  at  sundown,  Burr  found  her,  walking  among 
the  shadows.  "Aha,  Mistress  Margaret,"  he  laughed, 
looking  slyly  aslant  at  her,  "surely,  it  is  dark  for  the  read 
ing  of  letters.  I  am  compelled  to  conclude  that  it  is  the 
handsome  face  of  the  Tennesseean  you  are  dreaming  about 
in  this  solitary  place  at  this  romantic  hour.  Ah,  little 
girl,  you  are  fickle,  to  bewitch  a  new  lover,  with  a 
letter  from  the  old  thrust  in  the  bosom  of  your  dress." 


AN  OLD  FERRY  ON  THE  KENTUCKY 
RIVER  SHOWING  THE  SPOT  WHERE 
THE  BOONE  AND  GALLOWAY  GlRLS 
WERE  CAPTURED  BY  THE  INDIANS 


LOVE  AND  A  LETTER  103 

"You  go  far  in  your  rallying,  Mr.  Burr,"  she  retorted, 
with  a  toss  of  her  head. 

"But  you  are  well  punished  this  time,  little  rogue,"  the 
other  went  on,  lightly.  "The  man  has  gone,  Margaret, 
and  you  are  likely  never  to  see  him  again.  So  I  would 
advise  you  to  make  the  most  of  your  letter." 

"You  seem  to  be  making  much  of  it,  sir,"  she  rejoined. 
He  only  laughed  again.  "Have  you  come  to  tell  me  that 
the  man  has  gone?"  she  went  on.  "Do  you  think  I  am  so 
interested  in  the  arrival  and  departure  of  your  clients?" 

"Not  all  of  them,  Miss  Margaret.  I  have  come  to  tell 
you  he  has  gone  because  he  begged  me  to  make  his  excuses 
to  you,  and  to  bid  you  a  farewell  for  him. 

"The  fellow  fled  as  though  in  a  deadly  fear,  Margaret," 
said  Burr,  when  they  had  walked  a  few  paces  in  silence. 

She  tossed  her  head,  by  way  of  answer. 

"Ah,  Margaret,  you  little  rogue,  who  would  have  thought, 
when  I  brought  you  to  this  house,  that  you  would  go  about 
breaking  the  hearts  of  all  my  friends!  Each  day  you  add 
another  to  your  victims."  His  voice  fell  low,  soft,  insin 
uating. 

Feeling  his  hand  lightly  on  her  arm,  she  turned  in  alarm, 
fearing  a  purpose  in  his  words  that  was  abhorrent  to  her. 
"I  do  not  understand  you,  Mr.  Burr,"  she  said.  "There 
is  one  who  loves  me,  and  whom  I  shall  wed  in  good  time, 
if  that  is  what  you  mean."  She  deemed  it  best  to  give  up 
her  secret  now  to  this  man,  hoping  it  would  establish  a 
defense  against  him,  if  he  intened  more  than  compliment. 

"There  are  many  who  love  you,  Margaret."  She 
shrank  from  him,  afraid  of  the  soft,  sweet  caress  of  his 
voice;  afraid  of  the  note  of  sadness  in  it;  afraid  because 
his  words  sent  a  thrill  of  pleasure  and  gladness  through 
her,  though  she  knew  she  should  loathe  him. 

Burr,  perceiving  their  effect  upon  her,  with  consummate 


IO4 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


strategy  forebore  from  his  subtle  advances  for  the  time, 
abandoning  pursuit  so  skilfully,  with  such  an  inappreciable 
change  in  his  manner  that  Margaret,  feeling  the  danger 
slip  past,  fell  soon  to  wondering  whether  she  might  not  have 
misinterpreted  him  and  so  done  him  an  injustice. 

"Is  it  a  letter  from  him  you  weep  over,  then?"  Burr 
went  on.  "He  is  far  away?  I  am  sorry  for  that,  having 
hoped  one  of  our  own  people  might  be  the  lucky  man; 


(The  East  Side  of  Main  Street)  HARRODSBURG,  KENTUCKY 

though  I  have  heard  many  tales  of  affairs  that  went  for 
ward  when  our  loyal  sons  were  away  at  the  war.  Tell  me, 
Margaret,  does  he  wear  a  red  coat?  And  what  is  his 
rank?  A  colonel,  at  least,  I  am  sure." 

"He  is  not  a  British  soldier,  Mr.  Burr,"  returned  Mar 
garet,  more  at  her  ease. 

"Not  a  soldier?  Surely,  he  cannot  be  a  Tory  refugee?" 
Margaret  made  no  answer  by  word,  but  his  piercing  black 
eyes  told  him  that  he  had  hit  upon  the  truth. 

"In  Heaven's  name,  Margaret,"  he  cried,  "it  is  not  that 
Tory,  that  Trumbull  Erskine,  of  whom  we  used  to  hear 
tales?" 


LOVE  AND  A  LETTER 


105 


She  turned  upon  him  with  the  wrath  of  a  woman  who 
hears  her  lover  attacked.  "And  what  if  it  were  Trumbull 
Erskine?  Is  there  aught  that  you  can  say  against  him, 
except  that  he  did  not  believe  as  you  believed  in  the  recent 
affair  between  the  King  and  some  of  his  subjects?" 

"Nay,  Margaret,"  returned  Burr,  "I  would  say  nothing 
detrimental  of  the  man  whom  any  woman  loves,  even 
though  he  be  a  traitor;  but  I  am  grieved  and  shocked  to 


SEVENTY-FIVE  YEARS  AGO  (The  West  Side  of  Main  Street} 

find  it  is  indeed  he  of  whom  we  speak,  for  there  are  pro 
scriptions  and  processes  out  against  him  which,  by  a  strange 
whim  of  fate,  have  been  placed  in  my  hands  for  execution 
if  he  should  return  to  New  York."  There  was  no  element 
of  threat  in  his  manner  of  telling  this,  but  rither  a  note  of 
sympathy,  an  implied  proffer  of  help. 

"You  could  not  find  it  possible  to  avoid  the  execution 
of  them?"  she  asked. 

"I  can  think  of  but  one  thing  that  could  obscure  my 
sense  of  duty  in  the  matter,"  he  purred,  touching  her  hand, 
permitting  her  to  understand  beyond  all  doubt. 

She  turned  and  fled  from  the  man,  and  the  thought. 


106  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

She  would  have  stayed  to  face  them  both  down,  but  she 
was  afraid.  She  feared  his  insidious  fascination,  his  black 
eyes,  his  beautiful  mouth,  his  exquisite  speech,  his  caress 
ing  voice.  To  oppose  the  fear,  she  had  nothing  beyond  the 
courage  of  her  own  soul,  which  she  felt  was  not  enough. 

As  she  hurried  toward  the  house  she  saw  a  small  skiff 
on  the  Hudson,  floating  softly  through  the  dusk.  In  the 
stern  sheets  was  a  young  man,  tall,  straight,  dressed  in  the 
garb  of  a  frontiersman,  who  stood  up  and  looked  back 
toward  Richmond  Hill.  It  was  the  young  stranger  who 
had  come  there  that  day. 

Unconsciously,  she  paused  to  watch  him  as  the  skiff 
neared  a  point  beyond  which  it  would  shortly  disappear. 
Without  thinking,  she  raised  her  hand  and  waved  her  hand 
kerchief.  He  returned  the  salute  gracefully,  sweeping  his 
coonskin  cap  above  his  head.  In  a  moment  the  skiff  passed 
around  the  point,  and  was  seen  no  more. 

With  a  fluttering  heart,  Margaret  made  her  way  into 
the  house  filled  with  a  new  courage,  the  source  of  which 
she  dared  not  contemplate. 


CHAPTER  VI 
MORE    LOVERS   THAN    ONE 

ALL  New  York  City  was  afloat  with  bunting;  flags 
and  pennants  fluttered  from  every  building;  banners 
bearing  legends  and  mottoes  were  stretched  across  the 
street.  Up  and  down  the  way  loitered  citizens,  happy  and 
expectant,  in  holiday  dress.  Knots  of  soldiers  strolled 
among  them,  members  of  the  crack  companies  of  the  city, 
dragoons,  grenadiers,  militia-men. 

Down  near  the  foot  of  Wall  Street  the  crowd  was  densest. 
Here  elegant  equipages  lined  the  way.  Ladies,  magnificent 
in  silks  and  satins,  made  pretty  poses  at  one  another  and 
for  the  benefit  of  commoner  folk  who  passed  up  and  down. 
Small  boys  ran  in  among  the  coaches,  examining  them  with 
frank  and  outspoken  criticism.  Old  men  waited  at  corners. 


WASHINGTON'S   RECEPTION  IN  NEW  YORK   CITY 
107 


io8  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Murray's  Wharf  was  decorated  beyond  precedent. 
The  stairs  leading  to  the  water  were  carpeted;  the  railings 
were  bound  in  crimson.  Between  the  wharf  and  Wall 
Street,  in  a  coffee-house,  were  Governor  Clinton  and  staff, 
with  other  dignitaries,  arrayed  in  their  finest,  heavy  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  momentous  occasion. 

A  rumor  rustled  up  from  the  water  through  the  waiting 
people.  A  gun  roared  across  the  harbor;  a  puff  of  smoke 
hung  about  the  ports  of  the  Galveston,  a  Spanish  packet 
lying  in  the  stream.  At  the  same  moment  she  burst  into  a 
mass  of  bunting,  displaying  the  flags  of  every  nation. 

The  crowd,  pressing  down  toward  the  water,  beheld 
seven  barges  rounding  the  packet  and  drawing  slowly  toward 
Murray's  Wharf  from  Elizabethtown  Point.  One,  the  fore 
most,  was  rowed  by  twelve  master  pilots  in  white,  a  thir 
teenth  acting  as  coxswain.  In  the  stern  sheets  stood  a  group 
of  distinguished  passengers,  upon  whom  all  eyes  were  turned. 

Now  the  battery  boomed  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns. 
Through  the  crowd  ran  shouts  of  gladness  —  not  a  tumul 
tuous  huzzaing,  for  the  occasion  had  a  sentiment  of  solem 
nity. 

Margaret  Rutgers,  standing  with  Aaron  Burr,  his  wife, 
and  Nicholas  Snell  at  an  upper  window  of  the  tavern 
watching  the  barges  draw  near,  saw  another  craft  upon  the 
water,  making  ashore  from  a  vessel  that  had  clearly  just 
arrived,  for  her  sails  hung  in  the  buntlines,  drying,  and 
there  were  signs  of  activity  about  her  decks  and  near  her. 

The  sight  of  the  new  arrival  set  thoughts  running 
through  her  mind,  thoughts  of  the  lover  who  was  coming 
overseas  on  such  a  ship,  of  the  danger  he  ran,  of  the  love 
she  bore  him;  thoughts, too,  though  she  would  have  denied 
this,  of  that  tall  and  slender  man  from  the  frontier,  whom 
she  had  last  seen  in  those  same  waters  passing  out  of  her 
sight  and  knowledge  in  a  skiff,  but  not  out  of  her  memory. 


MORE  LOVERS   THAN  ONE 


109 


The  skiff  from  the  strange  ship  did  not  make  for  Mur 
ray's  Wharf,  but  for  another  landing.  She  watched  it  with 
a  curious  interest,  trying  to  make  out  the  faces  of  those  on 
board.  Others,  standing  on  the  ground  beneath  the 
window,  were  watching  also,  two  seafaring  men,  to  judge  by 
their  talk. 
"Much  joy 
the  Britishers 
will  take  from 
this  sight,  eh, 
Jack,  my 
hearty  ?"cried 
one  of  them, 
clapping  his 
mate  on  the 
shoulder. 

"Be  they 
B  r  i  t  i  s  h  , 
then?" 

"Ay,  that 
they  are,  and 
that  is  the 
Marble  Halls 
just  come  in, 
if  ever  I  seen 

the  sea.  I  know  her  rig  well.  Ye  will  see  how  little  she 
rakes,  and  how  squat  her  topgallants  are.  And  by  the 
shortness  of  her  yards  I  would  know  her,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  devil's  own  way  they  have  of  leaving  them  all  akimbo 
when  they  come  to  anchor." 

Mrs.  Burr,  standing  close  of  Margaret,  felt  her  waver. 
"My  dear  child,  how  pale  you  have  grown!"  she  whispered. 

"Hush,  it  is  nothing.     I  will  wait  until  he  lands,  and 
then  I  will  go  home,  for  I  am  tired." 


BOUDINOT    MANSION,    ELIZABETH,    NEW    JERSEY,    WHERE 

WASHINGTON  WAS  ELABORATELY  ENTERTAINED  BY  A 

COMMITTEE  FROM  CONGRESS  ON  His  WAY  TO 

THE  FIRST  INAUGURATION 


no  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Mrs.  Burr  looked  skeptically  at  her,  but  said  no  more, 
for  at  that  moment  the  attention  of  every  one  was  brought 
to  the  wharf  by  a  great  cry  of  joy.  Looking,  they  saw 
General  Washington  come  from  the  barge  of  state  and  pro 
ceed  toward  the  tavern,  amid  the  shouts  of  the  people. 
He  had  come  to  take  office  as  first  President  of  the  United 
States,  having  been  elected  by  acclamation  under  the  newly 
adopted  Constitution. 

From  Mount  Vernon  his  progress  had  been  a  triumph. 
The  whole  country-side  turned  out  to  give  loving  tribute  to 
their  hero.  He  rode  through  Philadelphia  with  a  crown  of 
laurels  on  his  head.  At  the  Assunpink  River  near  Tren 
ton,  where  once  he  had  turned  the  tide  of  fate  and  made 
history  for  his  country  and  himself,  he  crossed  a  bridge 
beneath  thirteen  columns  intertwined  with  flowers,  laurels, 
and  evergreens,  and  bearing  the  motto,  "The  Defender  of 
the  Mothers  will  be  the  Protector  of  the  Daughters."  As 
he  passed  beneath  it,  maidens  dressed  in  white  strewed  his 
way  with  flowers,  and  sang  an  ode  to  him.  Now,  reach 
ing  New  York,  the  capital  for  the  time,  he  was  received 
with  all  the  honor  that  could  be  shown  him. 

Margaret  barely  waited  until  he  was  escorted  to  the 
tavern  and  formally  saluted  by  the  governor  and  his  staff. 
In  the  midst  of  the  confusion,  whispering  to  Mrs.  Burr  that 
she  was  going,  she  slipped  away,  and  threaded  her  way 
through  the  throngs  and  along  the  road  toward  Richmond 
Hill,  two  miles  distant.  Anxiety  and  gladness  contended  in 
her  breast  with  a  subtle  feeling  of  misgiving,  a  nameless 
dread,  as  she  hastened  on. 

He  was  there  before  her,  awaiting  her.  His  face  was 
hidden  in  a  beard;  his  clothing  was  rough;  his  hands 
showed  signs  of  work.  "You  have  come,  then?"  she  said, 
stopping  in  the  doorway  to  look  at  him,  uncertain  what  to 
do,  anxious  for  his  safety  if  he  were  found  in  that  house. 


MORE  LOVERS  THAN  ONE  113 

" Would  it  not  seem  that  I  have  come?"  he  retorted, 
uncivilly.  Clearly,  he  had  looked  forward  to  another  kind 
of  reception. 

She  still  stood  near  the  doorway,  her  fingers  at  her  lips. 
"Are  you  certain  you  did  well  to  come?  Is  there  not  great 
danger?  Could  I  not  have  come  to  you?" 

"Of  course  there  is  danger,"  he  returned,  a  little  molli 
fied.  "But  what  does  a  sailor  care  for  danger!  And  what 
danger  could  keep  me  from  you  ?  As  for  coming  to  me, 
you  would  find  smart  welcome  in  the  forecastle  of  the 
Marble  Halls,  I  make  no  doubt."  He  said  it  with  a  bitter 
significance,  which  she  inquired  the  meaning  of. 

"Why,  I  am  but  a  common  sailor,  a  man  before  the 
mast!"  he  complained,  indignantly.  "This  scoundrel  took 
me  away  with  him  to  make  me  work  out  some  scant  obliga 
tions  I  had  toward  him,  and  thrust  me  into  the  forecastle 
with  the  scurvy  scum  of  London  and  the  seaports  of  Eng 
land.  How  would  you  fancy  being  wife  to  a  sailor?"  He 
laughed  sardonically. 

"Trumbull!"  Her  voice  was  full  of  sympathy.  She 
stepped  toward  him  and  placed  her  hands  in  his. 

"So  you  don't  mind  a  common  sailor,  then?"  Trum 
bull  Erskine  was  in  a  mood  to  sneer,  even  if  the  sneer  in 
cluded  his  sweetheart. 

"No,  no.  Whatever  you  are,  you  will  be  Trumbull." 
Which  was  perfectly  true,  but  not  quite  in  the  compli 
mentary  sense  that  Margaret  intended.  "But  what  can  we 
do?  What  can  we  do?"  she  went  on.  "You  —  you  are 
not  progressing  at  sea?"  She  asked  the  question  timor 
ously,  as  though  fearful  of  hurting  his  feelingSo 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

"You  said  that  you  would  soon  be  master  of  a  vessel, 
and  take  me  with  you.  Will  you  be  a  captain  soon,  Trum 
bull?" 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


He  laughed  outright  at  that.     "Soon!"  he  ejaculated. 

"In  forty  years,  more  likely." 

"What  —  what  are  we  going  to  do,  Trumbull?" 

"Do ?    I  '11  tell  you  what  I  am  going  to  do.     I  am  going 

to  desert  that  hell-ship;    that  is  what  I  am  going  to  do. 

Then  we  shall  see  what  follows  after." 


THE  SUB-TREASURY  AT  WALL  AND  NASSAU  STREETS,  NEW  YORK,    BUILT  ON 
THE  SlTE  OF  THE  OLD  FEDERAL  HALL 

"But  you  cannot  stay  here,  in  New  York,  Trumbull! 
There  is  a  proscription  against  you  here.  The  risk  is  too 
great.  Listen!  Aaron  Burr,  the  man  under  whose  roof 
I  am  staying,  has  a  proscription  against  you,  which  he  will 
execute  if  he  learns  you  are  here.  He  has  threatened  you." 

"And  still  you  stay  under  his  roof?"  Trumbull  was 
enraged  at  once.  "You  let  him  threaten  me,  and  stay 
under  his  roof?"  he  repeated.  "Why  does  he  threaten 
me?  What  have  I  done  to  him?" 

She  turned  her  face  from  him;    his  anger  hurt  her. 

"I  know,  if  you  will  not  tell  me,"  Trumbull  went  on, 
casting  her  hands  from  his.  "It  is  because  he  loves  you!" 

She  would  have  cried  out  against  that,  in  very  shame, 


MORE  LOVERS  THAN   ONE 


but  the  sound  of  a  third  voice  in  the  room  made  her  speech 
less.  It  was  the  voice  of  Aaron  Burr.  "And  if  I  must 
plead  guilty  to  the  soft  impeachment,  surely  you  cannot 
find  it  a  fault  in  me,  Trumbull  Erskine,"  said  Burr. 

They  turned  simultaneously  to  see  him  entering,  the 
embodiment  of  all  easy  grace,  handsome,  alluring. 

"Is  this  a  trap?"  cried  Erskine  to  the  girl,  as  he  rushed 
into  the  hall  to  make  good  his  escape. 

Comprehending  at  last  what  was  taking  place  before 
her  eyes,  Margaret  took  steps  to  follow  him,  crying  out 
after  him,  "Trumbull,  Trumbull,  you  will  not  leave  me 
like  this?" 

Burr  restrained  her,  placing  a  hand  firmly  upon  her  arm. 
"Do  not  detain  him  here,"  he  said.  "If  you  do,  you  leave 
me  but  one  course." 

"You  will  not  harm  him,  Mr.  Burr?  You  will  not  let 
harm  come  to  him?" 

He  leaned  close  to  her;  a  liquid  light  flooded  his  eyes. 
"Will  you?"  he  whispered. 

That  was  all  at  the  time.     He  left  her  immediately, 
sending  a  servant  with  wine  and  cake  to  refresh  her.     But 
from  that  moment  there  began  an  insidious  siege  on  his 
part.     lie  spoke  to  her  with  a 
double   tongue,  in   phrases 
with  one  meaning  for 
her,    and    another 
behind     which     he 
could  take  shelter 
if  she  turned  upon 
him    with    re 
proach.     At  the 
same    time,    he 
treated    her    with 
tender     deference 


THE  OLD  VAN  CORTLANDT  MANSION,  NEW  YORK, 

WHERE  WASHINGTON  WAS  FREQUENTLY 

ENTERTAINED     (From  an  old  print] 


n6 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


and  respectful  consideration  that  almost  restored  her  faith 
in  the  man,  despite  herself. 

Her  uncertainty  concerning  Trumbull  and  her  fear  of 
Burr  were  not  all  that  came  to  trouble  her  in  the  week 
following    her     lover's     appearance     and    disappearance. 
Nicholas  Snell,  abruptly  changing  his  attitude  toward  her, 
once  more   began  to   press  his  suit, 
frankly  declaring  himself  as  a 
lover  who  would 
not    be   turned 
aside. 

Feeling  her- 
s  e  1  f     s  u  r- 
rounded    by 
intrigue,  be 
lieving     more 
and  more  that 
Trumbull  had 
either    gone 
away  in  dudgeon 
through   a   mis- 

THE  VAN  CORTLANDT  MANSION,  NEW  YORK, TO-DAY  Understanding 

or  was  at  present  being  duped  by  the  intriguers,  having  no 
hope  except  in  her  lover,  and  confident  that  her  way  would 
be  made  clear  if  she  could  communicate  with  him,  Mar 
garet  determined  upon  finding  him. 

The  execution  of  her  intention  was  more  difficult  than 
its  conception.  What  time  Nicholas  was  not  with  her, 
Burr  hovered  about,  making  it  impossible  for  her  to  absent 
herself  for  a  sufficient  time  without  being  missed  and  in 
quired  after, —  a  development  which  she  wished  to  avoid. 

The  opportunity,  as  she  thought,  came  to  her  on  the 
day  of  Washington's  inauguration,  April  30,  1789.  Every 
member  of  the  Burr  family  was  included  in  the  plans 


MORE  LOVERS   THAN   ONE 


117 


for  the  day.  Snell,  having  a  clerical  position  with  the 
State,  was  obliged  to  be  in  attendance  at  Federal  Hall. 
There  would  be  no  one  to  watch  her,  if  she  could  succeed 
in  detaching  herself  from  the  Burr  party. 

This  she  easily  accomplished,  pretending  to  be  too  ill 
to  attend.  Waiting  until  the  family  had  left  Richmond 
Hill,  and  were  well  on  their  way  to  the  inauguration  cere 
mony,  Margaret,  dressed  in  a  discarded  gown  which  she 
rummaged  out  of  a  closet,  and  with  an  old  bonnet  on  her 
head,  set  forth  on  her  adventure,  with  many  misgivings. 


NEW  YORK,  FROM  BEDLOE'S  ISLAND    (From  the  painting  by  John  G.  Chapman) 


CHAPTER  VII 
MORE  FRIENDS   THAN   ONE 

NEVER  before  had  there  been  such  a  crowd  in  New 
York  as  on  the  morning  of  April  30,  1789,  the  day 
of  Washington's  first  inauguration.  All  the  city  had  turned 
out  the  week  before  to  welcome  him,  but  to-day  more  than 
the  people  of  the  city  were  in  the  streets.  Taverns  and  inns 
were  crowded;  for  days  throngs  had  been  coming  in  from 
neighboring  States;  throughout  the  morning  they  poured 
across  King's  Bridge  on  the  north,  joining  the  flood  of  hu 
manity  that  was  already  setting  toward  Federal  Hall,  at 
Wall  and  Broad  Streets. 

The  day  had  dawned  cloudily,  but  the  sun,  breaking 
through  early  in  the  morning,  dispelled  all  gloom,  and  lent 


i 

1    -L^  i 


&n 

™ 


THE  OLD  FEDERAL  HALL  IN  NEW  YORK  WHERE  WASHINGTON  WAS  INAUGU 
RATED     (From  the  original  drawing  owned  by  the  New  York  Historical  Society) 

118 


MORE  FRIENDS   THAN   ONE 


no 


an  added  note  of  cheer  to  the  scene.  During  the  forenoon 
prayers  were  offered  at  all  the  churches.  At  noon  Wash 
ington,  accompanied  by  a  military  escort,  proceeded  through 
the  crowds  of  people  from  his  house  to  Federal  Hall,  ac 
claimed  on  all  sides.  Both  houses  of  Congress  were  assem 
bled  in  the  senate  chamber,  on  the  second  floor,  whither  the 
President-elect  made  his 
way,  modest,  dignified,  im 
pressive,  and  impressed. 

Presently  those  waiting 
below,  in  the  windows  oppo 
site,  and  on  the  roofs,  beheld 
the  man  emerge  upon  the 
senate  balcony,  fronting  on 
Broad  Street,  followed  by  a 
distinguished  group.  It  was 
an  appropriate  place  for  the 
ceremony,  being  long  and 
ample,  with  Tuscan  pillars 
supporting  the  roof,  and 

looking  down  Upon  a  broad     CHANCELLOR    ROBERT    R.    LIVINGSTON 

space,  dense  with  spectators. 

A  long  and  prolonged  shout  greeted  him.  As  he  looked 
down  upon  the  multitude  of  his  fellow-citizens,  Washing 
ton  trembled  and  became  pale  with  emotion.  Placing  his 
hand  over  his  heart  in  an  unaffected  gesture,  he  bowed  again 
and  again  to  the  populace  saluting  him.  He  wore  a  suit 
of  dark  brown  of  native  manufacture.  At  his  side  was  a 
dress  sword.  His  powdered  hair  was  gathered  in  a  bag. 
White  silk  stockings  and  shoes  with  simple  silver  buckles 
completed  his  attire.  On  one  side  of  him  stood  Chan 
cellor  Livingston,  arrayed  in  full  black;  at  the  other,  John 
Adams,  vice-president,  dressed  more  showily,  but  also  in 
a  suit  of  home  manufacture.  About  the  conspicuous  group 


I2O 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


were   gathered   prominent   men,  in  and   out  of  Congress, 
-  Hamilton,  Knox,  Steuben,  and  others  who  had  had  a 
hand  in  bringing  the  affairs  of  the  nation  to  this  pass. 

Chancellor  Livingston,  coming  forward,  gestured  to  the 
crowd,  which  became  silent.  Washington  joined  him, 
and  then  Otis,  the  newly  chosen  secretary  of  the  senate, 
bearing  a  Bible  on  a  rich  cushion  of  crimson.  In  a  hush 
that  held  the  vast  assemblage,  Chancellor  Livingston 

administered   the   oath 
of    office,    Washington 
repeating  the  words  after 
him  solemnly,  with  full 
sense  of  their  significance. 

!rar-^  9  "I  swear,"  he  said,  at  the 
last ;  adding,  in  a  whis 
per,  with  closed  eyes, 
" So  help  me,  God!" 
Turning  again  to  the 
people,  Chancellor  Living 
ston  proclaimed  him. 
"Long  live  George  Wash 
ington,  President  of  the  United  States!"  he  said;  whereat  a 
long,  loud  huzza,  burst  from  the  throats  of  the  crowd,  fol 
lowed  by  cheer  on  cheer,  which  gave  way  only  when  the 
guns  at  the  Battery  spoke  in  the  first  presidential  salute. 
Returning  to  the  senate  chamber,  the  new  President  ad 
dressed  Congress,  reading  from  a  manuscript.  Speaking 
first  of  his  anxiety  and  diffidence  in  assuming  his  new  duties, 
and  referring  to  his  desire  to  retire  to  private  life,  which 
he  had  abandoned  for  the  call  of  duty  expressed  through  the 
wishes  of  the  people  and  Congress,  he  proceeded  in  all 
modesty  to  express  a  hope  that  he  might  prove  worthy  of 
the  trust  imposed  in  him,  and  to  bespeak  the  indulgence 
of  those  who  had  raised  him  to  his  responsibility.  He 


THE  DESK  ON  WHICH  WASHINGTON  WROTE  His 
FIRST  MESSAGE  TO  CONGRESS 


MORE  FRIENDS  THAN  ONE  121 

dwelt  briefly  on  measures  of  administration,  expressing  a 
desire  to  leave  them  to  the  wisdom  of  Congress;  only  throw 
ing  out  suggestions  for  popular  amendments  to  the  Consti 
tution  and  indicating  a  desire  for  such  a  course  of  concilia 
tion  as  would  firmly  knit  all  the  elements  of  the  nation. 
For  the  prosperity  of  the  new  government  he  invoked  the 


WASHINGTON'S  PEW  IN  SAINT  PAUL'S  CHAPEL,  NEW  YORK 

blessings  of  the  Almighty,  whose  wisdom  had  led  them  thus 
far  along  the  way  of  nationality.  The  noble  bearing  of 
the  man,  and  his  deep  seriousness,  emphasized  the  gravity 
of  the  occasion,  impressing  upon  all  who  witnessed  the 
scene  the  solemn  significance  of  what  they  did. 

When  he  had  spoken,  the  party  repaired  on  foot  to  Saint 
Paul's  chapel,  in  Broadway,  where  Bishop  Provoost,  who 
had  been  elected  one  of  the  chaplains  of  Congress,  offered 
prayers,  after  which  Washington  was  conducted  to  his 
house. 

In  the  midst  of  this  scene,  a  formal  but  inconspicuous 
figure,  was  Nicholas  Snell.  Of  all  who  were  present,  per- 


122  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

haps  he  was  least  impressed,  having  other  matters  on  his 
mind  of  more  consequence  to  himself.  Margaret's  absence 
from  the  Burr  party  had  aroused  his  suspicions.  At  the 
end  of  the  ceremony,  while  the  inaugural  party  was  pro 
ceeding  to  the  chapel,  Snell  left  the  hall,  and  wound  his  way, 

through  the   crowd   of  people, 
toward  the  Battery. 

Meanwhile,   Margaret   Rut 
gers,  half  disguised  in  the  worn 
garments  she  had  found  in  the 
closet  at  Richmond   Hill,  was 
passing    through    the    deserted 
streets  of  the  town,  toward  the 
water-front.     As  she  was  hasten 
ing  along,  the  sound  of  huzzas 
that  proclaimed   the   new  Presi 
dent  reached  her  ears,  increasing 
her   agitation,    as   events   of   an 
intense  character,  however  irrelevant, 
JEFFERSON'S  DESK  WHILE  SECRE-    will  stir  one  already  excited  by  his 

TARY  OF  STATE  .  01  ,     r 

own  emotions.  She  paused  for  a 

startled  moment  to  listen,  femininely  frightened  by  the  noise 
of  the  crowd,  so  suggestive  of  force  and  the  vitality  of 
human  passion. 

She  did  not  pause  long,  but  hastened  on  her  way,  intent 
on  the  errand  that  had  brought  her.  The  hope  that  had 
buoyed  her  was  fast  sinking.  She  was  not  certain  that  she 
would  know  the  Marble  Halls;  she  was  less  certain  that 
Trumbull  was  still  on  board.  And  if  he  were,  what  could 
she  accomplish  in  coming  to  him?  She  might  not  even  be 
able  to  see  him;  at  best  she  doubted  whether  he  could  help 
her,  half  slave  as  he  was  in  service  as  a  common  sailor. 
Nevertheless,  there  was  no  other  hope,  and  she  hurried  on. 

Her  first  fear  that  she  would  not  be  able  to  find  the  boat 


COPYRIGHT,    1900,    BY   DETROIT    PHOTOGRAPHIC   COMPANY 


SAINT  PAUL'S  CHAPEL,  NEW  YORK  CITY 


MORE  FRIENDS  THAN  ONE  125 

was  dispelled  when  she  reached  the  water-front;  for  there, 
lying  at  a  wharf  above  the  Battery,  so  close  that  she  could 
make  out  the  name  on  the  vessel's  bows,  was  the  Marble 
Halls.  With  a  fluttering  heart  she  approached,  searching 
the  decks  for  sight  of  her  lover.  There  was  great  bustle 
aboard,  and  what  seemed  to  her  confusion.  Men  were 
hurrying  to  and  fro;  bales  of  goods  were  being  lifted  at  the 
yardarms  with  rope  and  tackle,  and  lowered  into  the  hold. 
If  she  had  been  better  versed  in  the  ways  of  men  of  the  sea, 
she  would  have  recognized  in  the  stir  afloat  and  ashore  signs 
of  impending  departure;  but  she  was  spared  that  by  her 
ignorance. 

Standing  at  the  break  of  the  poop  was  one  whom  she 
judged  by  his  uniform  and  his  manner  of  giving  orders  to 
be  an  officer.  Mastering  her  timidity  with  a  brave  effort 
she  went  nearer  the  ship,  intent  on  speaking  to  this  man, 
hoping  by  her  very  innocence  and  helplessness  to  accom 
plish  more  than  a  strong  man  might. 

Reaching  the  dock,  she  stood  among  boxes  and  bales, 
irresolute,  with  fainting  courage,  searching  among  the  sail 
ors  for  the  one  she  had  come  to  find.  He  was  not  of  them. 

As  she  stood,  she  caught  the  notice  of  some  of  the 
sailors,  who  leered  at  her,  after  the  irresponsible  fashion  of 
sailors.  She  was  aware  of  their  attentions,  and  was  the 
more  confused  and  disconcerted  by  them,  feeling  herself 
out  of  place,  and  utterly  helpless.  Presently  the  officer, 
following  the  glances  of  the  sailors,  turned  toward  her  to 
stare,  and  it  became  necessary  that  she  should  speak. 

"Pray,  sir,"  she  said,  coming  as  close  to  the  ship's  side 
as  she  could,  "have  you  one  aboard  named  Trumbull 
Erskine?" 

"Named  who?"  returned  the  man,  who  was  mate  of 
the  Marble  Halls. 

"Erskine,  sir.     Trumbull  Erskine." 


126 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Catching   the    name,    the    man   grinned   sardonically. 
"What  do  you  wish  with  him?"  he  asked,  gruffly. 

""He  is  an  old  friend  of  my  mother's  and  I  would  speak 
with  him,"  she  replied. 

"Better  send  your  mother  on  the  errand,  then,"  he  re 
torted,  half  laughing,  "for  your  mother's  old  friend  is  in 
the  brig." 

"I  thought  he  was  aboard  the  Marble  Halls"  Margaret 
ventured,  thinking  the  mate  meant  by  the  word  another 

sort  of  vessel, 
one  of  brig 

rig- 

The  mate 
perceived  her 


error,  and 
proceeded  to 
set  her  right. 
"A  brig,  my 

THE  FIRST  PRESIDENTIAL  MANSION,  No.  i,  CHERRY  STREET    Pre"tty   miSS, 

NEW  YoRK  besides  being 

a  two-masted  square-rigger,  is  a  prison  aboard  ship,"  he 
expounded  with  a  leer.  "Your  mother's  friend,—  '  with 
a  fine  irony  on  the  characterization, —  "having  exhibited 
a  desire  to  mutiny  and  desert,  is  lying  in  the  brig  aboard 
this  ship  in  chains,  and  is  like  to  stay  there  until  we  are 
well  at  sea." 

Stunned  by  the  information,  brutally  imparted,  Mar 
garet  would  have  cried  aloud  had  not  her  pride  held  her  to  a 
show  of  calmness ;  but  at  best  she  could  scarcely  keep  from 
reeling,  so  swiftly  had  the  last  fragment  of  her  world  tum 
bled  about  her  shoulders.  With  great  restraint,  she  turned 
to  go,  hearing  in  her  ears  the  rough  laughter  of  the  spectators 
of  her  mortification  and  unhappiness,  when  a  hand  was  laid 
on  her  arm,  and  a  familiar  voice  sounded  in  her  ears. 


MORE  FRIENDS  THAN   ONE 


127 


"Come,  Margaret,"  said  the  voice.  "This  is  no  place 
for  you.  What  are  you  doing  here,  anyway?  Come  with 
me."  Raising  her  glance,  she  looked  into  the  face  of 
Nicholas  Snell.  He  was  smiling  upon  her;  but  in  his  eyes 
was  a  cold  gaze  that  did  not  share  the  smile  on  his  lips. 

She  shrank  from  him,  angry  to  think  that  he  had  intruded 
upon  such  a  moment.  "Let  me  alone!"  she  cried.  "Leave 
me.  I  want  nothing  from  you." 

"Come,  now,"  returned  Nicholas,  laying  his  hand  once 
more  upon  her  arm.  "No  airs,  miss.  You  ought  to  thank 
me  for  getting  you  out  of  this  pretty  mess,  instead  of  abusing 
me.  I  suspected  what  you  were  up  to,  sneaking  away  from 
the  family  this  morning  the  way  you  did,  and  I  am  going 
to  stop  it,  for  your  sake.  I  don't  care  how  you  treat  me. 
It 's  a  self  imposed  duty,  but  I  am  going  to  take  care  of 
you,  whether  you  will  or  no.  Come  with  me." 

The  attention  of 
those  on  board  ship 
was  directed  toward 
this  new  develop 
ment  ;  she  could  hear 
coarse  jests  among 
the  sailors.  She  was 
beside  herself  with 
anger  and  mortifica 
tion.  "Leave  me!" 
she  cried,  again. 
"Don't  touch  me!" 

"I  '11  take  you 
home,  if  I  have  to 
drag  you,  and  you  '11 
live  to  thank  me  for 
it,"  Snell  returned 
angrily. 

WASHINGTON    TAKING    THE    OATH    OF    OFFICE 
(From  the  painting  by  Chap  pell) 


128 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


He  was  moving  as  though  he  intended  to  put  his  threat 
into  execution,  when  a  hand  was  clapped  on  his  shoulder, 
and  he  was  thrust  away  with  such  force  that  he  staggered 
back.  "  Perhaps  it  will  be  as  well  if  you  permit  Miss 
Rutgers  to  do  as  she  chooses  in  this  matter,"  said  the  man 

who  had  inter 
fered.  It  was  a 
voice  which  he 
had  not  heard 
since  the  day  of 
the  threatened 
mutiny  at  New- 
burgh,  when  his 
antagonist  had 
been  carried  off  to 
the  guard- house. 
It  was  Sylvester 
Stevens,  who, 
after  a  court- 
martial,  had  been 
discharged  from 
custody  with  a 
perfunctory  rep 
rimand,  the  cir- 

THE  FIRST  CABINET     (From  the  painting  by  Chappell)     cumstanCCS  of  the 

quarrel  being  well  known  to  the  members  of  the  court. 

A  thrill  of  gladness,  of  excitement,  passed  through 
Margaret. 

"What  business  is  it  of  yours?"  snarled  Snell,  recover 
ing,  and  approaching  the  man  again  in  hostile  attitude. 

"Whatever  business  Miss  Rutgers  may  see  fit  to  make 
it,"  returned  Sylvester,  calmly.  "Miss  Rutgers,  can  I  be 
of  any  help  to  you?" 

For  the  first  time,  as  she  thankfully  accepted  his  chivalry, 


MORE   FRIENDS   THAN   ONE  129 

she  had  the  courage  to  look  into  his  face.  Beholding  him, 
her  thoughts  flew  to  the  one  close  at  hand,  lying  in  chains 
in  the  ship,  and  she  lowered  her  gaze,  with  a  sense  of  inex 
plicable  guilt  crowding  in  upon  her.  "Take  me  away," 
she  whispered,  " please  take  me  away  from  here." 

Whether  it  was  a  deficiency  in  courage  or  faith  that  his 
cunning  could  subsequently  unravel  the  unique  situation 
into  which  he  was  thrust  by  the  appearance  of  the  Tennes- 
seean  that  controlled  SnelPs  conduct  at  the  moment,  need 
not  be  determined.  It  is  sufficient  to  record  that  he  stood 
by  with  a  good  show  of  complaisance  and  suffered  Mar 
garet  to  depart  with  Sylvester  Stevens. 

There  are  men  to  whom  certain  women  in  distress 
reveal  their  souls.  Such  a  man  was  Sylvester  now  to  this 
woman.  They  had  not  gone  far  before  she  proceeded  to 
tell  him  the  entire  chain  of  events  that  brought  her  to  the 
vessel  and  the  dilemma  from  which  he  had  so  opportunely 
extricated  her. 

He  listened  with  deep  sympathy  and  attention,  pressing 
her  for  nothing,  but  tacitly  inviting  her  to  complete  her 
confidence.  When  she  had  finished,  he  related  to  her,  by 
way  of  being  unobtrusive,  the  strange  chance  that  had  led 
him  to  the  water-side  at  the  critical  moment  when  she  had 
stood  in  need  of  succor.  He  had  come  to  New  York,  he 
said,  on  business  with  Hamilton.  Being  in  the  city,  he  had 
attended  the  ceremony  of  inauguration  as  a  spectator,  after 
which  he  had  wandered  to  the  river-front,  impelled  by  a 
curious  interest  in  men  of  the  sea  as  inhabitants  of  a  world 
as  romantic  and  dangerous  as  his  own,  but  utterly  different. 

She  penetrated  this  purpose  in  leading  the  talk  away 
from  herself,  feeling  a  gratitude  that  she  did  not  express; 
but  at  mention  of  Hamilton,  her  thoughts  ran  back  to  her 
own  situation.  Desperate  as  she  was,  she  believed  that 
Hamilton  might  assist  her  now,  being  a  man  of  influence 


130 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


and  power.  She  expressed  this  new  hope  to  her  companion, 
tentatively,  questioning  him  whether  he  thought  any  good 
could  come  through  his  intervention  with  the  captain  of 
the  ship. 

Sylvester,  gently  indulging  the  hope,  fell  in  with  the 
suggestion,  and  led  her  at  once  to  Hamilton's  house,  where 

he  would  have  left  her,  wishing 
not  further  to  intrude,  if  she 
had   not    begged    him    to 
stay,    assuring   him    that 
she  placed  great  reliance 
in  him. 

Hamilton  had  not  re 
turned  from  the  inaugu 
ration.  In  the  interval 
of  waiting,  Sylvester  fell 
to  telling  her  of  the  West 
ern  country;  how  it  was 
rapidly  settling  up;  how 
the  Indians  were  a  source 
of  continual  danger,  but 
were  being  gradually  pushed  back  into  the  wilderness,  and 
many  other  things  that  absorbed  her  interest  and  diverted 
her  mind. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  Hamilton  returned. 
Margaret,  whose  distress  and  impatience  had  been  soothed 
by  Sylvester  more  than  she  was  willing  to  acknowledge, 
proceeded  with  few  introductions  to  lay  her  case  before 
Hamilton,  soliciting  his  offices  in  an  attempt  to  obtain  the 
release  of  Trumbull  from  the  Marble  Halls.  Hamilton 
listened  with  peculiarly  lively  interest,  which  was  explained 
to  Sylvester  presently,  when  the  statesman  drew  him  aside. 
"There  has  been  a  blunder  here,"  he  said.  " Perhaps 
we  can  set  it  right.  I  know  the  fellow,  having  been  counsel 


STEUBEN'S  RUSTIC  HOUSE  AT  ORISKANY, 
NEW  YORK     (From  an  old  print) 


MORE  FRIENDS  THAN  ONE 


for  his  uncle  in  a  suit  against  this  girl's  mother.    I  shall 
address  a  note  to  the  captain,  which  you  can  take  to  him." 

Without  more  delay,  Hamilton  sat  at  his  desk  and  wrote 
a  formal  note  to  the  master,  presuming  upon  his  prospec 
tive  office  as  secretary  of  the  treasury  to  make  it  semi 
official.  Sylves 
ter,  bearing  it  to 
the  captain,  set 
out  at  once  for  the 
water-side,  prom 
ising  to  make  all 
haste. 

It  was  dark 
before  he  came 
back.  Margaret, 
awaiting  with 
grim  courage, 
arose  when  she 
heard  his  step  at  the  door,  and  advanced  to  meet  him  with 
a  candle  in  her  hand.  Lifting  the  light  above  her  head, 
she  searched  his  countenance  for  the  news  he  brought.  In 
his  eyes  was  a  look  of  commiseration,  of  compassion,  that 
struck  down  her  last  hopes.  She  had  little  need  to  hear  the 
words  he  spoke. 

The  Marble  Halls  had  put  to  sea. 


BARON  VON  STEXJBEN'S  GRAVE,  NEAR  ORISKANY,  NEW 
YORK 


CHAPTER  VIII 
MORE  LOVES   THAN   ONE 

THE  first  shock  of  the  news  that  Trumbull  had  gone 
was  followed  in  the  mind  of   Margaret    Rutgers  by 
a  sense  of  desolation  and  helplessness.     She  felt  that  she 
had  lost  the  privilege  of  shelter  under  Burr's  roof,  and, 
even  though  he  might  be  willing  to  receive  her  again,  as 


NEW  YORK    (From  the  drawing  by  J.  Dupree) 

he  probably  would  be,  she  could  no  longer  accept  his 
hospitality. 

There  were  other  considerations  against  going  back  to 
his  house.  If  she  had  had  cause  to  fear  him  before,  how 
much  more  reason  was  there  to  dread  him,  now  that  he 
knew  how  helpless  and  dependent  she  was.  Moreover, 
there  was  Nicholas  Snell  to  think  of.  In  Burr's  house 
she  could  not  avoid  him,  and  would  be  defenseless  against 
his  machinations. 

These  reflections,  passing  swiftly  through  her  brain,  left 

132 


MORE  LOVES  THAN  ONE  133 

her  in  a  state  of  despair.  For,  impossible  as  it  seemed  to 
go  back  to  her  former  home,  it  was  still  more  impossible 
that  she  should  go  anywhere  else.  She  had  no  friends  or 
kin  in  the  city  with  whom  she  could  find  refuge.  Neither 
were  there  any  in  the  States  whom  she  could  reach.  There 
was  a  distant  cousin  in  Ohio,  but  he  was  no  closer  to  her 
than  a  stranger. 

For  a  moment  she  thought  of  engaging  in  service  in  the 
city,  being  qualified  to  care  for  children  or  act  as  house 
keeper.  In  the  next  moment  she  realized  her  position  and 
condition  must  necessarily  become  known  to  Nicholas, 
and  put  her  in  a  worse  plight,  perhaps,  than  the  one  she 
would  be  in  at  Burr's  home.  To  remain  with  the  Hamilton 
family,  even  for  another  hour,  was  not  to  be  thought  of. 
She  had  already  imposed  too  heavily  upon  Hamilton,  she 
felt. 

Despairing  of  seeing  any  way  but  the  way  she  dreaded, 
Margaret  arose  at  last  and  crept  to  the  door,  putting  on  her 
bonnet  as  she  went.  They  had  left  her  alone  with  her  grief, 
Sylvester  and  Hamilton.  She  would  slip  away  without 
seeing  them,  taking  some  future  occasion  to  thank  them. 
She  had  not  the  courage  to  speak  to  them  now.  She  opened 
the  door  and  was  gliding  through  the  dark  hall  to  the  street 
door  when  a  hand  was  laid  on  her  arm,  and  Hamilton  spoke 
to  her.  "Where  are  you  going,  Miss  Rutgers?"  he  asked. 

"Do  not  think  me  ungrateful,  sir,"  she  replied.  "I 
am  very  thankful  to  you  and  to  Mr.  Stevens  for  what  you 
have  done,  but  —  I  did  not  want  to  stay  longer."  Her 
voice  fell  into  a  half-sob ;  she  was  unstrung. 

"I  believe  I  can  perfectly  understand  your  frame  of 
mind,  Miss  Rutgers,"  returned  Hamilton,  gently,  "and  I 
above  all  things  desire  to  avoid  intruding  upon  it.  But  do 
you  not  think  it  would  be  well  for  us  to  discuss  your  plans 
before  you  leave?  We  may  be  able  to  devise  means  to 


134  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

succor  you  further.     Surely,  this  thing  will  right  itself  in 
time." 

"Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  What  shall  I  do?"  cried  the 
girl,  breaking  down. 

Hamilton  fell  to  thinking.  "You  would  be  very  unhappy 
if  you  lived  away  from  New  York?"  he  asked  her,  presently. 

Her  face  brightened  at  once.  "I  should  be  very  happy 
to  leave,  if  - 

"If?"  he  repeated. 

"If  I  could  be  certain  that  Mr.  Erskine  would  not  fail 
to  find  me,  should  I  go  elsewhere." 

"You  are  willing  to  leave  that  to  me?" 

"Indeed,  Mr.  Hamilton,  you  have  already  done  so  much 
for  me  that  I  do  not  feel  I  ought  to  let  you  take  further 
care  upon  yourself,"  she  replied. 

"I  can  assure  you  it  will  be  only  a  pleasure.  Is  that 
your  sole  objection?" 

"That  is  all  that  would  deter  me." 

"Good.  I  have,  then,  a  plan  that  I  will  submit.  I 
have  a  friend  living  in  Philadelphia;  a  woman  of  remark 
able  character  and  attainments,  who  feels  herself  under 
obligations  to  me  for  something  I  was  once  able  to  do  for 
her  which  she  chooses  to  consider  a  favor.  She  lives  simply 
in  a  little  cottage,  having  no  one  with  her  but  a  child,  a  waif 
of  the  sea  whom  she  took  from  some  sailors  who  rescued 
him  from  a  deserted  ship.  If  you  are  willing,  I  shall 
arrange  to  send  you  to  her." 

Margaret  was  at  first  reluctant  to  accept  the  offer,  but 
finally  acquiesced,  first  exacting  a  promise  from  her  bene 
factor  that  he  would  not  suffer  himself  to  be  put  to  any 
further  inconvenience  than  writing  a  letter  to  the  woman, 
which  she  might  carry  with  her.  Having  brought  matters 
to  this  pass,  Hamilton  left  her  for  a  space,  returning  pres 
ently  with  Sylvester  Stevens. 


MORE  LOVES   THAN   ONE 


135 


"Our  friend  Stevens,  about  to  return  to  Kentucky, 
wishes  to  escort  you  to  your  destination/'  he  said.  "You 
will  not  be  afraid  to  travel  alone  with  him?" 

Margaret's  gaze  fell  to  the  floor.  For  a  moment  she 
felt  the  delicious  thrill  of  fear  that  a  woman  experiences 
who  toys  with  a  known  danger.  In  the  next  moment,  the 
thought  of  Trumbull  came  to  rebuke  her,  and  she  raised 
her  eyes  to  meet  those  of  the  young  frontiersman.  "I  should 
be  ungrateful  indeed  if  I  felt  any  misgivings,"  she  said, 
smiling  upon  them  both. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  alarm  you,  Miss  Rutgers,"  said  Syl 


vester,  "but  I  consider  it  best  that  we  start 
at  once.   You  do  not  mind  a  night  ride?" 

"I  should  take  pleasure  in  the  ad 
venture,"  she  answered.     "But  why 
do  you  think  it  best  to  start  at  once  ?" 

Sylvester  exhibiting  some  reluc 
tance  to  explain, 
Hamilton  took  up 
the  reply.  "Mr. 
Stevens  suspects  that 
his  steps  have  been 
dogged  to-night,  and 
thinks  that  you  may 
be  watched  by  those 
whom  you  seek  to 
avoid,"  he  said. 

"Are    you   quite 
ready  to  leave  New     THE  °LD  CAPITOL  AT  FRANKFORT>  KENTUCKY 
York?"  asked   Margaret,  turning  to   Sylvester.     "If  you 
are  not,  I  cannot  consent  to  taking  you  away." 

"I  wish  that  I  might  claim  more  of  a  sacrifice  in  what 
I  do,"  he  returned,  with  a  deeper  feeling  than  gallantry  in 
the  reply. 


136  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

Within  an  hour  a  small  boat  put  out  from  the  stairs  at 
Murray's  Wharf  and  headed  toward  Elizabethtown  Point. 
Two  men  were  at  the  oars.  In  the  stern  sheets  was  a  young 
woman,  carrying  a  small  bundle.  Beside  her  sat  a  man, 
with  a  larger  one.  At  his  side  was  a  sword;  in  his  belt 
were  pistols.  As  the  boat  glided  across  the  water,  the  man 
searched  the  river  unceasingly,  but  furtively,  as  though  he 
would  conceal  his  watchfulness  from  his  companion. 

In  this  he  failed,  for  the  young  woman,  watching  him, 
and  observing  his  gaze  become  fixed  on  the  water  behind 
them,  disclosed  that  she  knew  what  was  passing  through 
his  thoughts.  "We  are  being  followed?"  she  said,  calmly. 

He  looked  at  her  quickly  to  see  whether  she  was  in  fear. 
"I  am  not  certain,"  he  said,  perceiving  her  cool  courage. 
"A  boat  put  off  after  us,  but  whether  to  follow  or  by  acci 
dent  I  cannot  tell." 

"Was  it  Snell  who  dogged  your  tracks  to-night?"  she 
went  on. 

"Yes,"  he  answered.     "You  are  not  afraid?" 

"I  am  not  afraid,"  she  replied.  "I  hope  it  will  not  be 
necesssary  to  kill,"  she  went  on,  with  a  little  shudder. 

"I  do  not  think  our  friend  will  come  to  that,"  Sylvester 
returned,  with  a  laugh. 

They  were  half  across  before  Margaret  spoke  again. 
"Does  the  boat  still  follow?"  she  asked. 

"I  think  so,"  returned  Sylvester.  "They  seem  to  have 
drawn  within  a  certain  distance,  and  to  be  holding  it.  Shall 
I  have  the  men  row  faster?" 

"They  would  still  follow,  if  that  is  the  purpose  of,  those 
in  the  boat,"  returned  the  girl.  "There  would  be  nothing 
gained,  and  I  would  not  have  them  think  that  we  fled." 

"You  are  a  brave  girl." 

"If  I  am  without  fear,  it  is  because  you  have  taught  me 
courage,"  made  answer  Margaret;  and  as  she  spoke,  she 


MORE  LOVES  THAN  ONE 


felt   the   same  delicious  thrill  of  danger  she   had   first  ex 
perienced. 

By  the  time  their  craft  reached  the  opposite  shore,  no 
doubt  remained  that  the  other  boat  was  indeed  following 
them;  for  it  not  only  made  for  the  same  landing,  but  drew 
rapidly  closer 
as  they  them 
selves  were 
nearing  the 
landing.  Once 
ashore,  the 
two  passengers 
made  haste 
across  the 
water-front  to 
a  tavern  not 
far  distant. 
'  i  M  y  own 
horse  is  here, 
and  I  make 
no  doubt  we 
shall  find  one 
for  you,"  he 
said.  "It 
might  be  bet 
ter  if  you  came 

with  me  to  the  stables;  for  if  we  are  indeed  being  followed, 
it  would  not  be  well  for  you  to  be  found  alone." 

She  agreed  to  that,  but  still  without  a  trace  of  anxiety; 
a  circumstance  that  set  her  to  wondering  at  her  own  forti 
tude,  for  it  was  beyond  all  experience.  There  were 
horses  in  plenty  in  the  stable.  Sylvester,  looking  them  over 
swiftly,  selected  one  which  he  believed  would  have  both 
speed  and  endurance. 


DANIEL    BOONE   WHEN    HE    FIRST   BEHELD    KENTUCKY 
(From  a  painting  -in  theCapitol  at  Frankfort ) 


138  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

As  the  mounts  were  preparing,  a  fellow  came  skulking 
from  the  tavern  to  whisper  with  the  master  of  the  stable. 
Perceiving  it,  Sylvester  made  haste,  carefully  examining 
the  girth  and  bridle  of  Margaret's  mount  before  he  lifted 
her  into  the  saddle.  That  done,  he  vaulted  upon  his  own 
steed,  and  the  two  rode  out  of  the  yard. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  Sylvester,  looking 
back,  saw  three  horsemen  emerge  from  the  yard,  and  turn 
in  the  same  direction.  "They  are  following,"  he  said, 
casually,  not  to  inspire  fear  in  his  companion. 

They  rode  through  the  town  at  even  pace,  making  no 
haste.  Once  beyond  the  scattering  houses,  their  way  led 
across  a  flat  that  was  little  better  than  a  swamp.  The 
road,  indifferent  at  its  best,  was  muggy  and  slippery  from 
the  spring  rains,  making  the  going  slow.  The  night,  which 
was  clouding  over,  was  growing  darker  every  minute.  As 
they  floundered  through  the  mire,  Sylvester,  who  led  the 
way  by  half  a  length,  looked  over  his  shoulder  from  time  to 
time,  but  could  see  nothing  because  of  the  gloom. 

They  had  not  gone  far  when  they  heard  the  splashing 
of  horses  behind,  which,  by  the  noise  they  made,  seemed  to 
be  on  a  gallop.  " Shall  we  fly?"  asked  Sylvester,  perceiving 
by  the  expression  on  his  companion's  face,  of  which  he 
caught  a  glimpse,  that  she  heard  also. 

"If  it  seems  best  to  you,"  replied  the  girl,  stoutly. 

They  continued  at  their  present  gait.  After  a  space, 
the  sound  of  the  following  horses  growing  louder,  Sylves 
ter  fell  back  a  pace,  looking  to  his  pistols  as  he  did  so,  and 
loosening  his  sword  in  its  sheath.  For  the  first  time,  Mar 
garet  glanced  back.  She  saw  the  three  horsemen  looming 
through  the  night  a  dozen  rods  behind.  "Do  not  kill, 
unless  it  is  needful,"  she  whispered. 

Sylvester  made  no  answer.  They  rode  on  through  the 
night.  As  they  rode,  they  heard  the  heavy  breathing  of  the 


MORE  LOVES   THAN   ONE  141 

pursuing  horses,  and  their  plashing  in  the  road,  coming 
momentarily  nearer.  The  girl  looked  once  again.  As 
she  looked,  the  three  reined  up  not  two  lengths  behind,  and 
fell  into  an  even  pace  with  them. 

"Who  goes  there?"  cried  the  voice  of  Nicholas  Snell. 

"Honest  travelers,"  returned  Sylvester.  "Do  you  wish 
to  pass  us?  You  seem  to  be  in  some  haste." 

"Ay,  we  would  pass,"  said  Snell,  ever  ready  for  a  trick. 

"Nay,  but  I  would  not  have  you,"  rejoined  Sylvester. 

With  the  words,  he  spurred  his  horse  against  that 
ridden  by  Snell,  sending  both  animal  and  rider  into  the 
mud.  Turning  in  a  flash,  he  aimed  a  stroke  of  his  sword 
at  one  of  Snell' s  companions,  whose  horse,  frightened  by 
the  sudden  encounter,  turned  about  and  would  have  bolted 
had  not  the  man  held  him  with  firm  rein. 

The  third,  recovering  from  his  surprise,  wheeled  and 
was  about  to  deal  a  blow  at  Sylvester,  when  his  hand  was 
stayed  by  a  groan  from  Snell,  still  groveling  in  the  mud. 
"For  the  love  of  God!"  he  cried,  "lend  me  a  hand  here. 
The  horse  has  broke  my  leg." 

Relieved  by  this  good  fortune  of  the  necessity  for  further 
resistance,  Sylvester  turned  and  came  up  with  Margaret, 
who  waited  and  watched  at  a  little  distance.  "Come," 
he  said,  "I  think  we  can  now  retreat  with  honor." 

"Did  you  kill?"  cried  the  girl,  showing  the  first  sign  of 
terror  that  had  escaped  her. 

"Nay,  it  is  nothing  worse  than  a  broken  leg,  if  it  is  as 
much  as  that,"  returned  her  companion.  With  that  they 
set  spurs  to  their  horses,  and  fled. 

They  had  not  gone  more  than  a  mile  or  two  at  speed, 
before  Sylvester  laid  hand  on  Margaret's  bridle,  and  slack 
ened.  "I  think  they  will  not  follow,"  he  said,  "for  one  of 
the  three,  as  you  guessed,  was  Snell." 

He  was  correct  in  his  conjecture.     Although  they  were 


142 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


obliged  before  an  hour  was  passed  to  let  their  mounts  walk, 
because  of  the  condition  of  the  road,  they  neither  heard  nor 
saw  anything  more  of  their  pursuers.  They  rode  through 
out  the  night,  tarrying  for  a  few  hours  in  the  morning  at  a 
tavern  by  the  side  of  the  way.  On  the  following  afternoon 
they  made  another  stage;  and  so,  riding  by  day  thereafter, 
came  at  last  to  Philadelphia. 

If  Margaret  had  found  a  pleasurable  terror  in  playing 
with  the  danger  of  traveling  with  Sylvester,  she  paid  the 
penalty,  as  women  must.  His  unfailing  courage  and  good 
humor,  his  delicacy  of  feeling,  his  consideration  of  her  com 
fort,  his  tactful  forbearance  from  any  reference  to  her  un- 

happiness  and  misfortune,  his  chiv 
alry  and   generosity,  wore  into 
her  heart.     Battle  loyally  as 
she  did  to  preserve  the  im 
age  of  Trumbull  Erskine 
intact,    she    felt    herself 
growing  faithless  already 
to  his  memory,  and  chid 
\  herself  for  it. 

She    did    not    love 
Sylvester;  she  must  not ; 
„  she  would  not.     But  in 
the  few  short  days  they 
were  together,  he  grew 
to  mean  much  more  to 
.     her  than  any  man 
should  mean   to 
one  whose  heart 
and    troth    are 
given  to  another. 
She  was  glad, 
therefore,    when 


OLD  MONUMENT  TO  DANIEL  BOONE 


MORE  LOVES  THAN  ONE 


143 


he  left  her  at  her  destination,  to  journey  to  the  frontier. 
Glad,  and  sorry. 

Sylvester  took  up  his  journey  along  the  path  that  Daniel 
Boone  had  trod  so  many  years  before.  Boone  himself 
was  still  in  Kentucky.  But,  losing  his  property  there 
through  want  of  formal  title,  when  Kentucky  became  a 
State  in  1792,  six  years  later,  he  retired  in  disgust  to  the 
wilderness  of  Missouri,  then  a  Spanish  possession.  In  1812 
his  public  services  were  recognized  by  a  substantial  land 
grant.  When  death  stilled  his  restless  spirit  in  1820,  Ken 
tucky  reclaimed  his  bones,  and  they  now  rest  beside  those 
of  his  devoted  wife  above  the  cliffs  of  the  Kentucky  River, 
overlooking  the  beautiful  valley  of 
the  capital  of  the  commonwealth 
toward  which  Sylvester  was 
bound. 

His  farewell   to   Mar 
garet    was    simple,    and 
formal.    He  would  take 
no  thanks  for  what  he 
had  done.     He  rather 
thanked    her,    saying 
that    she    had    given 
him  an  inspiration 
which  he  should  cher 
ish  to  the  last  hour  of 
his    lonely  and    adven 
turous    life    in 
the  wilderness. 
What    the    in 
spiration    was, 
and    how    well 
it    was    cher 
ished    by    this 


THE  BOONE  MONUMENT  AFTER  REMODELING 


144 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


simple-hearted  frontiersman  Margaret  Rutgers  was  to  learn 
after  many,  many  years. 

It  sometimes  seems  as  if  the  drowsy  gods  awaken  only  to 
la.ugh  at  the  havoc  they  play  with  faithful  hearts,  moving  them 
in  spirals,  as  it  were,  now  interlacing  and  now  a  world  apart. 


BOONE'S    CAVE,    FOUR    MILES    EAST  OF    HARRODSBURG,    KENTUCKY,   WHERE 
DANIEL  BOONE  SPENT  THE  WINTER  or  1769-70 


BOOK  II 

REMINISCENCES    OF    A  RETIRED    NAVAL   OFFICER 


CHAPTER  I 

MATTERS    OF    STATE 

I  PRESUME  it  is  considered  proper  to  preface  an  auto 
biographical  sketch  with  some  few  words  concerning 
the  writer's  parentage  and  pedigree, 
wherefore  I  presume  it  will  be  in 
some  quarters  held  unpardon 
able  in  me  not  to  tell  in  the 
beginning  who  my  father 
was,  when  his  name  is 
rather  a  matter  of  pride 
than  of  shame.  But  if 
such  is  the  convention,  I 
propose  to  set  it  at  de 
fiance. 

My  reasons  for  doing 
so  may  not  be  good,  but 
they  seem  sufficient  to  me/ 
and  I  hope  the  reader  will 
indulge    the    whim  of  a  man 
now  grown  old.     The  obscurity 
that  in  my  early  life  surrounded  my 
identity  and  parentage  was  a  mystery 

to  me  through  SO  great  a  part  of  the  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 

events    I  shall  narrate,  and  formed,   I   may   say,  such   a 
vital  factor   in   determining   my  career,  that  I  consider  it 

145 


i46  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

best  for  the  purpose  of  my  story  to  reveal  the  secret  from 
time  to  time,  in  fragments,  as  it  was  disclosed  to  me  by  what 
befell.  To  this  end,  I  shall  use  the  name  by  which  I  was 
known  as  a  child  and  through  my  youth  —  that  of 
Richard  Morris. 

With  one  brief  exception  which  lives  vividly  in  my  mem 
ory,  my  earliest  recollection  goes  back  to  the  year  1786  or 
1787.  I  cannot  be  clear  about  the  precise  date.  Probably 
the  fragment  which  lingers  in  my  mind  is  a  composite  of  a 
period  embracing  both  those  years.  I  must  at  that  time 
have  been  three  or  four  years  of  age,  having  been  born  some 
time  in  1783.  I  was  then  living  in  a  small  cottage  on  a  back 
street  in  Philadelphia,  with  a  woman  who  taught  me  to  call 
her  aunt.  She  was  a  tall,  dark,  stately  woman,  possessed 
with  an  air  of  mystery  that  aroused  my  awe  of  her.  Never 
theless,  I  regarded  her  with  a  tender  affection  and  trust 
which,  I  thank  God,  abides  with  me  to  this  day,  and  will  ever 
linger.  How  she  came  to  have  me  by  her,  and  why  she 
lavished  upon  me  an  affection  that  was  unique  in  her  lonely 
life,  will  appear  in  due  time. 

The  one  exception  to  this  period  of  my  memory  which 
I  mention  goes  behind  this  time  about  a  year,  I  should  think. 
Perhaps  it  may  be  held  remarkable  that  a  child  of  two  can 
retain  anything  in  mind  from  such  an  early  age  until  life 
has  run  its  threescore  and  ten.  But  that  the  events  I  am 
about  to  narrate  as  a  part  of  my  experience  at  that  early 
age  are  to  be  accounted  for  by  tales  told  me  afterward  I 
can  firmly  deny. 

I  remember  that  I  was  aboard  a  sailing  vessel.  I  have 
no  recollection  of  any  guardian  being  with  me,  although  I 
have  since  learned  that  my  father  accompanied  me.  Of 
the  voyage  I  remember  only  the  climax;  and  that  is  distinct 
and  vivid  before  my  mind.  We  were  at  sea;  there  was  no 
land  in  sight.  There  was  another  boat  which  came  toward 


MATTERS    OF    STATE  147 

us,  causing  some  confusion  and  excitement  on  our  decks 
which  did  not  greatly  impress  me,  I  being  far  too  young  to 
appreciate  its  significance  at  the  time. 

I  next  remember  that  I  was  confined  in  some  dark  cuddy, 
where  I  was  bidden  to  lie  quiet.  I  had  scarcely  been  closed 
out  of  sight  when  I  heard  a  tumult  above  me  on  the  decks. 


INDEPENDENCE  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA     (From  an  old  print) 

There  was  much  shouting  and  firing  of  cannon,  which  caused 
me  mortal  terror,  so  that  I  could  not  have  cried  out  if  I 
would.  The  tumult  grew  louder;  the  cries  more  horrible. 
The  firing  of  cannon  ceased,  to  be  succeeded  by  the  firing  of 
small-arms  for  a  space,  and  the  noise  of  a  great  struggle  on 
the  planks  overhead.  I  understood  nothing  of  the  meaning 
of  it,  but  I  was  still  in  deadly  fear.  By  degrees  the  sound 
of  conflict  died  away.  In  the  end  there  was  comparative 
quiet;  only  the  sound  of  men  rummaging  about  between 
decks,  and  talking  in  a  tongue  that  had  no  familiar  sound. 
Soon  I  heard  men  leaving  the  boat,  and  all  was  still.  1 
remember  then  that  T  cried  with  a  terrible  loneliness.  The 


148  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

next  I  knew  was  a  light  at  the  cuddy  door  where  I  was  hid 
den,  and  some  men  whom  I  had  never  seen  before  dragged 
me  forth  with  many  kind  and  pitying  words.  From  that  time 
all  is  a  blank  until  I  pick  up  the  thread  again  in  the  cottage 
in  Philadelphia,  presided  over  by  my  aunt;  thenceforward 
it  is  unbroken,  though  perhaps  frayed  and  spun  thin  here 
and  there,  so  to  speak. 

My  aunt  at  that  time  did  not  explain  to  me  the  circum 
stances  of  my  having  come  to  where  I  was.  Perhaps  she 
thought  I  had  no  memory  of  anything  that  had  gone  before, 
and  so  bided  her  time.  For  my  part,  I  was  so  young  that 
I  suppose  I  took  the  episode  at  sea  as  a  matter  of  course  and 
but  a  part  of  life  that  might  befall  any  one,  and  so  was  not 
prompted  to  ask  questions.  However  it  was,  I  did  not 
learn  the  intervening  circumstances  for  many  years;  and 
when  she  at  last  told  them  to  me,  they  had  only  a  partial 
significance,  which  I  was  many  years  in  completing. 

We  lived  alone  in  the  cottage,  seeing  few,  though  my 
aunt  was  not  what  you  could  term  a  recluse.  She  had  friends, 
though  they  were  not  many  and  seemed  to  be  closely  chosen. 
For  that  reason  I  presume  they  had  a  quality  of  character 
that  you  would  not  expect  in  the  circle  of  a  lonely  woman 
whose  position  in  life  was  mysterious  to  the  point  of  being 
anomalous.  I  account  for  the  small  circle  of  select  friends 
which  she  bound  so  closely  about  her  by  her  excellence  of 
character  and  superior  strength  of  mind,  which  was  un 
common  in  a  woman  at  that  time. 

I  have  spoken  of  these  friends  here  partly  by  way  of 
showing  our  mode  of  life,  and  partly  to  introduce  into  my 
narrative  one  who  was  destined  to  play  an  important  part 
in  the  history  of  the  country  during  the  time  of  which  I  write, 
and  who  also  directed  in  a  measure  the  destinies  of  some  in 
whom  my  own  interests  and  affections  were  bound  up  after- 
ward.  This  man  was  Alexander  Hamilton. 


MATTERS    OF   STATE  151 

I  think  I  should  remember  him  for  himself  even  if  he  had 
not  later  assumed  such  prominence  in  my  mind  and  the 
public  attention.  He  impressed  me  greatly  at  first  sight. 
He  was  small;  he  even  seemed  small  to  me,  child  that  I  was. 
But  there  was  a  fire  in  his  great  dark  eyes  and  a  bearing  about 
him  that  captured  my  fancies  completely.  Though  I  after 
ward  did  not  wholly  coincide  with  all  his  political  views,  I 
never  outgrew  the  sentiment  of  hero  worship  he  inspired  in 
me  as  a  child  of  three  or  four  when  I  first  saw  him. 

The  circumstances  of  his  coming  are  worthy  of  note, 
though  I  must  not  claim  to  have  understood  them  or  cared 
what  they  were  at  the  time.  It  was  during  the  meeting  of 
the  convention  that  drew  up  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  that  Hamilton  came  to  visit  with  my  aunt,  whom  he 
had  met  before  under  circumstances  that  aroused  his  interest 
in  her  and  regard  for  her  mental  and  moral  qualities.  They 
talked  long  and  seriously  of  affairs  which  were  far  beyond 
my  depth,  though  I  sat  in  a  corner  and  listened  wonderingly 
until  my  aunt,  perceiving  me,  packed  me  off  to  bed.  I 
remember  that  Hamilton  was  vastly  amused  at  my  stubborn 
objections  to  being  so  disposed  of. 

This  is  hardly  the  place  for  a  dissertation  on  the  Con 
stitution  of  our  country.  Indeed,  it  is  a  matter  that  I  have 
never  felt  qualified  to  discuss  with  understanding,  for  my 
life  was  a  life  of  action  at  sea,  and  my  mind  is  not  one  that 
readily  grasps  such  problems.  But  I  do  remember  the  tense 
strain  of  expectancy  under  which  the  city  labored  through 
out  the  proceedings  of  the  convention,  from  May  until 
October  of  the  year  1787. 

Probably  much  of  my  feeling  was  absorbed  from  my 
aunt,  who  took  a  lively  interest.  We  would  often  go  down 
to  Independence  Hall,  where  the  meetings  were  held,  to  see 
the  great  men  as  they  came  and  went.  The  deliberations 
were  carried  on  in  the  strictest  secrecy.  Indeed,  they  have 


152 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


never  been  fully  told.  Perhaps  the  most  complete  record 
of  them  is  contained  in  the  notes  made  at  the  time  by  James 
Madison,  but  not  published  until  after  his  death,  fifty  years 
later,  when  the  last  survivor  of  those  who  sat  in  the  conven 
tion  had  passed  from  earth.  The  reason  for  the  secrecy,  as 
I  have  been  informed  since,  was  to  prevent  the  reaction  of 
public  ^^f  opinion,  which  was  in  a  delicate  bal 

ance,  against  the  members  of  the 
convention. 

I  shall  not  forget  my  first 
glimpse   of  Washington,  who 
presided  at  the   convention, 
nor  how  I  hid  my  head 
in  my  aunt's  skirts,  only 
peeping  at  him  with 
one  eye.     My  aunt 
told    me    that    he 
saw  me  at  the  time, 
and  smiled ;  though 
I  was  too  engrossed 
in  the  spectacle  to 
note    the    circum 
stance.   Had  I  seen 
his  eye  fixed  on  mine 
I    should     doubtless 
never    have     survived. 
This  reminds  me  of  an 

GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS  (After  the  Sully  portrait}  adventure  I  had  with  the 
great  man  later,  when  he  was  President,  and  our  town  was 
the  temporary  capital.  Seeing  him  pass  along  the  street,  I 
followed  at  his  heels  in  most  devout  worship,  when  he  sud 
denly  turned  upon  me,  delivered  a  most  elaborate  bow,  and 
walked  on,  without  so  much  as  breaking  into  a  smile.  1 
stood  for  some  minutes  petrified  with  awe.  When  I  could, 


MATTERS   OF   STATE  153 

I  ran  home  and  concealed  myself  beneath  a  bed,  whence  my 
aunt  had  great  ado  to  drag  me  forth.  She  would  not  believe 
that  I  told  her  the  truth  when  I  narrated  the  circumstance, 
the  action  being  foreign  to  the  man's  deportment;  but  I 
was  afterward  verified  in  the  account  by  eye-witnesses, 
who  restored  me  to  a  reputation  for  truthfulness. 

Benjamin  Franklin  did  not  so  ^^^^^^  impress 
me;  for  him  I  was  somewhat    ,^|  B^  accus 

tomed    to    seeing  about  the 
streets    of    Philadelphia. 
Of  the  others  who 
were  there  I  recall 
none;  not     even 
James  Madison, 
who  was  a  figure 
of  great  impor 
tance   during 
the  convention, 
and  to  whom 
is  largely  due 
the  success  of 
the    gathering; 
so  much  so  in 
fact  that  he  has 
often  been  called  the 
"  Father  of  the  Con 
stitution."         It     is  EDMUND  RANDOLPH 
perhaps  the  more  remarkable  that  I  do  not  recall  him,  for 
he  afterward  entered  into  my  life.     But  he  was  a  mild  man 
nered  man,  small  of  stature  and  slight  in  frame  like  Hamilton, 
but  without  Hamilton's  personal  magnetism.     Though  not 
lacking  in  dignity,  he  was  not  one  to  gather  the  eyes  of  a 
staring  boy. 

The  crux  of  the  matter  that  brought  them  together- 


154  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

this  is  hearsay  and  after-knowledge  —  was  to  form  a  bond 
that  would  more  firmly  unite  the  discordant  States,  which 
at  that  time,  as  is  well  known,  were  falling  into  anarchy.  I 
have  heard  since  how  the  great  Washington,  perceiving 
signs  of  timidity  on  the  part  of  the  delegates,  held  them  to 
their  task  with  an  impassioned  speech,  filled  with  a  show  of 
emotion  rarely  to  be  seen  in  that  deep-flowing  soul.  There 
had  been  suggestions  of  half-measures  that  might  for  the 
time  compound  and  compromise  the  difficulties  existing 
between  the  States  and  obtain  public  approval  without  incur 
ring  resistance.  At  that  Washington  arose  and  in  unwont- 
edly  solemn  tones  said:  "It  is  too  probable  that  no  plan  we 
propose  will  be  adopted.  Perhaps  another  dreadful  conflict 
is  to  be  sustained.  If,  to  please  the  people,  we  offer  what  we 
ourselves  disapprove,  how  can  we  afterward  defend  our 
work?  Let  us  raise  a  standard  to  which  the  wise  and  the 
honest  can  repair;  the  event  is  in  the  hand  of  God." 

Several  plans  for  the  document  were  proposed.  The 
first,  and  the  one  about  which  the  Constitution  was  chiefly 
built,  was  the  Virginia  plan,  submitted  by  Edmund  Ran 
dolph,  though  its  chief  author  was  James  Madison.  It 
provided  for  a  legislature  in  two  branches,  the  members  of 
the  lower  house  to  be  elected  directly  by  the  people,  the 
members  of  the  upper  house  to  be  chosen  by  the  lower  house 
from  candidates  nominated  by  the  several  States.  Repre 
sentation  was  to  be  distributed  according  to  wealth,  or  free 
population.  The  vote  on  matters  of  legislation  was  to  be 
by  individual  members,  and  not  by  States ;  which  did  away 
with  the  strength  of  State  division,  an  element  of  discord 
under  the  Confederation.  Madison  was  led  to  this  stand 
by  the  necessity,  so  often  impressed  upon  the  people  of  the 
country  of  late,  of  negativing  the  will  of  individual  States 
where  it  contravened  the  common  good.  To  carry  out  the 
laws  an  executive  was  provided,  whether  to  be  one  or  several 


FRANKLIN'S  TOMB,  PHILADELPHIA 


MATTERS   OF   STATE  157 

in  number  was  not  specified.  Also,  a  national  judiciary 
was  suggested. 

There  was  much  outcry  against  this  scheme,  which  was 
considered  revolutionary  in  its  audacity,  and  impossible  of 
fulfilment  against  the  prejudices  for  states  rights.  The 
larger  States,  which  would  thus  gain  a  preponderance  of 
power  in  the  federal  government,  were  eager  enough  for  it, 
but  the  small,  some  of  which  would  be  reduced  to  one  repre 
sentative,  as  in  the  case  of  Georgia,  were  wholly  displeased. 

As  against  this,  William  Patterson  of  New  Jersey  sub 
mitted  what  is  known  as  the  New  Jersey  plan.  This  pro 
vided  for  one  house  representing  States  and  not  individu 
als.  It  was  only  a  step  farther  than  the  old  Articles  that 
had  been  proved  so  worthless  and  dangerous.  It  did  not 
place  the  foundation  of  the  government  upon  the  people  as 
citizens  of  the  federal  nation.  It  was  opposed  by  Hamilton 
and  Madison  and  others.  Hamilton  at  this  juncture  intro 
duced  a  third  plan,  not  with  the  hope  that  it  would  be  adopted, 
but  to  balance  the  others.  He  suggested  that  in  addition  to 
Madison's  lower  house,  the  upper  house  and  executive 
should  hold  office  during  life  or  good  behavior. 

In  the  end,  as  is  well  known,  the  Constitution  provided 
for  a  lower  house  elected  by  the  people  of  the  several  States 
according  to  population,  and  an  upper  house  that  was  to 
contain  two  senators  from  each  State;  all  members  of  Con 
gress  to  vote  individually.  In  order  that  a  measure  should 
become  a  law,  it  must  pass  both  houses  and  be  signed  by  the 
executive,  who  was  to  be  one  individual. 

But  distribution  of  representation  by  population  gave 
rise  to  a  wrangle.  How  were  the  slaves  held  in  the  Southern 
States  to  be  counted?  As  chattels  or  men?  In  the  end  it 
was  agreed,  by  way  of  compromise,  that  five  slaves  should 
be  counted  as  three  men,  and  representation  was  apportioned 
on  that  basis. 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Now  another  difficulty  beset  the  rugged  path  of  the  con 
vention.  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  insisted  that  the 
trade  in  African  slaves  should  be  continued;  the  New  Eng 
land  States  as  flatly  refused  to  permit  it.  On  the  other  hand, 

the  New  England 
States  demanded 
that  Congress 
have  power  to 
regulate  com 
merce,  —  a  con- 
cession  the 
Southern  States 
declined  to  make 
for  fear  they 
would  fall  into 
the  hands  of  New 
England  mer 
chants  and  ship 
pers.  The  South 
needed  slaves ;  the 
North  needed 
navigation  laws. 
Here  were  the  ele 
ments  of  a  bar 
gain,  which  was 
consummated.  In 
exchange  for  the 
right  of  Congress 
to  pass  trade  laws,  New  Hampshire,  Connecticut,  and 
Massachusetts  consented  to  prolong  trade  in  foreign  slaves 
for  twenty  years,  or  until  1808.  In  the  same  compromise 
was  incorporated  a  prohibition  of  export  duties. 

And  so  the  convention  was  brought  to  a  close.  The 
great  document  was  finally  drafted  by  Gouverneur  Morris. 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  AT  EIGHTY- FOUR    (From  the  por 
trait  by  C.  W.  Peale  in  the  Pennsylvania  Historical 
Society's  Collection} 


MATTERS   OF  STATE 


It  did  not  wholly  satisfy  any  one  man  engaged  in  composing 
it,  perhaps,  but  was  held  to  be  as  nearly  perfect  as  might  be 
and  was  ready  for  signature.  Franklin  and  Hamilton  in  an 
earnest  plea  urged  the  members  to  sacrifice  personal  opinions 
for  the  sake  of  unanimity.  In  a  paper  prepared  by  the  aged 
Franklin  and  read  before  the  convention,  on  account  of  his 
feeble  voice,  he  expressed  the  hope  that  those  who  still  had 
objections  would  doubt  a  little  of  their  own  infallibility  and 
attach  their  names  to  the  document.  There  were  three  dele 
gates,  however,  who  would  not  sign.  They  were  Mason 
and  Randolph  of  Virginia,  and  Elbridge  Gerry  of  Massa 
chusetts.  Yates  and  Lansing  of  New  York,  and  Luther 
Martin  of  Maryland  had  left  in  disgust  earlier  in  the  pro 
ceedings. 

All  seemed  impressed  by  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion. 
When  it  was  all  over  Washington  sat  with  his  head  bowed 
in  meditation.  Franklin  in  a  characteristic  speech  reminded 
the  conven-  tion  of  his  Albany  plan  to 

unite  •fcu,  the    colonies    in    a 

fed-    ^flr  JBI       Hi**  eral  union 


THE  HOME  OF  ELBRIDGE  GERRY  AT  MARBLEHEAD,  MASSACHUSETTS 


i6o 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


three  years  before.  It  was  in  the  days  of  George  II,  while 
Washington,  still  in  the  employ  of  Lord  Fairfax,  was 
surveying  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  while  Madison  was 
playing  in  the  nursery,  and  Hamilton  yet  unborn.  It  was 
the  first  complete  outline  of  a  federal  constitution  for  the 

American    colonies.      In   this   very 
room    he    had    signed  the 
Declaration  of  Independence 
eleven  years  before,  at  the 
age  of  threescore  and  ten; 
and  now  he  was  present 
to  see  the  aim  of  his  life 
fulfilled.       Pointing   to 
the  emblazoned  half-sun 
on    the    back    of    the 
president's  quaint  arm 
chair,   he   made   it    the 
subject   of    a  prophecy. 
"As  I  have  been  sitting 
here   all    these  weeks   I 
have     often    wondered," 
said  he,  "  whether  yonder 
sun  is  rising  or  setting.     But 
now  I  know  it  is  a  rising  sun ! " 

ELBRIDGE  GERRY     (From  the  portrait  in  Of  COUTSC,  all  this  Was  a  rid- 

Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia}  J}e  J-Q  me  j^n  .    \y^  J  believe 

that  I  imbibed  the  spirit  of  the  times.  I  know  that  I  was  as 
full  of  rejoicing  as  any  one  when  the  result  was  announced, 
and  added  my  tiny  yelps  of  glee  to  the  acclamations  of  the 
populace,  my  aunt  permitting  me  to  remain  up  long  after 
my  usual  hour  to  witness  the  display  of  fireworks  and  listen 
to  the  din  of  the  celebration. 


CHAPTER   II 


THE   WOMAN,   AND    JEALOUSY 

MY  aunt  cared  for  me  during  my  childhood  with  a  tender 
and  thoughtful  affection,  as  I  have  told.  She  in 
structed  me  in  the  rudiments  of  education  as  I  grew  ready  to 
receive  instruction,  and  endeavored  to  inculcate  in  me  prin 
ciples  of  courage  and  fidelity.  She  was  a  brave,  stout  soul 
herself,  and  if  I  have  displayed  similar  virtues  in  my  life  it 
is  because  of  her  influence,  added  to  an  inheritance  from  my 
father,  than  whom  no  one  was  more  brave  or  noble.  And 
if  there  was  any  omission  in  her  code  of  ethics,  I  was  not 
aware  of  it  at  the  time,  and  never  suspected  it  until  I  learned 
more  about  what  was  behind  her.  She  did  not,  certainly, 
instruct  me  in  the 
same  disregard  of 
certain  obligations  in 
life  which  she  seems 
to  have  indulged  ear 
lier  in  her  own  ex 
perience. 

I  was  not  without 
companions  of  my 
own  age  during  this 
time.  My  aunt  was 
careful  that  I  should 
have  playmates,  and 
good  ones.  How  well 
she  chose  I  can 
testify  with  my  life. 
There  were  three 

THOMAS  JEFFERSON     (From  the  crayon  portrait  by 

Saint-Memin) 
161 


1 62 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


with  whom  I  used  to  romp  about  the  dooryard  of  our  little 
cottage,  or  join  in  little  innocent  expeditions  into  the 
outskirts  of  the  town.  One  of  them,  a  sweet  little  girl 
with  a  smile  that  must  always  have  been  linked  to  Heaven, 
died  while  she  was  yet  a  child.  A  second,  a  lad  my  senior 

by  a  year  or 
two,  drifted 
out  of  my  life 
in  early 
youth.  I  think 
he  went  into 
the  far  West. 
I  heard  re 
ports  from 
there  in  after 
years  con 
cerning  one  of 
his  name;  I 
believe  the 
hero  of  them 
was  my  old 
friend. 

Of  the 
third  of  the 
group  I  shall 
have  much  to 


LEE 


(Prom  the  Stuart  portrait) 

She  was  an  impudent  minx,  younger  than  I  in  years, 


"LIGHT  HORSE  HARRY 

tell. 

but  ages  older  in  wisdom.  She  ruled  me  completely  with 
her  black  eyes  and  saucy  tongue,  and,  though  I  jnust 
confess  to  an  original  preference  for  the  other  little  girl, 
who  was  much  more  gentle  with  me,  it  was  not  long  until 
I  was  the  devoted  slave  of  little  Ruth  Gardner. 

I  mention  Ruth  here  not  because  there  was  at  that  time 
anything  in  our  little  love  affair  that  can  be  supposed  to  in- 


THE   WOMAN  AND    JEALOUSY  163 

terest  the  reader,  but  because  it  was  through  her  association 
with  something  that  happened  in  our  quiet  life  that  I  am 
able  to  recall  it;  although  the  event  itself  was  of  lasting 
importance  to  many  who  were  afterward  dear  to  me. 

It  was  some  two  years  after  the  federal  convention  met 
in  our  town,  when  there  came  to  live  with  us  a  beautiful  and 
charming  young  woman,  Margaret  Rutgers,  of  New  York. 
The  circumstances  of  her  coming  I  did  not  know  until  later. 
I  only  know  that  she  was  brought  to  my  aunt's  house  by  a 
Sylvester  Stevens ;  that  she  was  sent  by  Mr.  Hamilton ;  that 
there  was  some  secret  talk  from  which  I  was  excluded,  and 
that  in  the  end  Mr.  Stevens  went  away  and  left  her  with  us. 

She  seemed  very  unhappy  and  disconsolate  at  first.  In 
time,  however,  growing  fond  of  my  aunt,  who  obtained  her 
confidence  entirely,  and  seeming  to  find  a  lively  interest  in 
me,  she  grew  contented,  and  in  the  end  quite  happy.  For 
myself,  I  must  confess  that  I  loved  her  dearly.  It  was  this 
that  brought  about  the  little  climax  that  has  impressed  the 
details  so  closely  upon  my  mind ;  for  what  did  my  lady  love 
Ruth  do  but  conceive  a  violent  jealousy  of  her  rival  in  my 
affections  from  which  resulted  our  first  breach  of  size,  and  one 
which  was  not  mended  without  the  application  of  many  sugar 
plums  and  the  intervention  of  the  lady  herself  who  was  inno 
cently  at  the  bottom  of  the  contention.  I  appreciate  now 
why  there  was  so  much  sly  mirth  between  my  aunt  and 
Margaret  over  the  affair,  but  at  the  time  it  was  no  light 
matter  with  me,  I  assure  you. 

Not  long  after  this  my  aunt  was  honored  by  a  visit  from 
Alexander  Hamilton,  during  which  an  incident  occurred 
that  set  my  little  head  to  puzzling  over  the  riddle  of  my 
existence;  for  by  this  time  I  was  brought  to  a  conscious 
ness  of  my  anomalous  condition  in  life  by  my  little  com 
panions,  who,  with  the  cruelty  of  childhood,  did  not  spare 
me  from  all  manner  of  taunts  when  we  fell  to  quarreling. 


1 64  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

I  remember  now  that  on  the  first  occasion  when  Ham 
ilton  visited  us  he  gave  me  two  or  three  quick,  curious 
glances,  as  though  I  suggested,  perhaps,  some  dim  associa 
tion  in  his  mind  with  some  one  whom  he  knew,  or  had  known. 
On  his  subsequent  visit,  the  one  of  which  I  speak,  I  observed 
the  same  interest  in  my  features  on  his  part.  I  suppose  I 
had  become  sensitive  to  curiosity,  for  I  marked  his  expression 
well  and  wondered  at  it. 

But  it  was  a  conversation  between  him  and  my  aunt  that 
lingered  in  my  mind  for  many  years,  distressing  me  sorely 
until  the  mystery  was  raveled  out  by  time.  They  thought 
I  was  not  attending  to  what  they  said,  for  I  was  playing  on 
the  floor  with  some  lead  soldiers  he  had  brought  me,  and 
apparently  absorbed  in  my  game.  But  I  heard. 

"Do  I  know  that  lad's  father?"  he  asked  my  aunt,  in  a 
low  voice. 

There  was  a  pause.  I  felt  that  she  was  searching  him 
with  those  strong  black  eyes  which  I  remember  so  well. 
"If  you  do,  you  know  more  than  I  know,"  she  replied  pres 
ently,  with  a  significant  stress  on  the  last  word. 

"But  do  you  guess?"  he  pursued. 

"Do  you?"  she  asked  in  turn. 

"He  recalls  some  one  to  my  mind,"  replied  Hamilton. 

There  the  dialogue  was  halted,  I  presume  by  a  gesture 
from  my  aunt,  who  may  have  detected  me  in  an  attempt  to 
hear  what  they  said  further.  I  know  now  that  the  conversa 
tion  was  continued  at  another  time,  and  that,  in  a  way,  it 
had  much  to  do  with  my  future. 

If  Alexander  Hamilton  was  a  factor  in  the  destiny  of  my 
self,  and  of  Margaret,  whom  I  learned  to  call  cousin  and  to 
love  more  dearly  every  year,  how  much  more  was  he  an  ele 
ment  in  the  life  of  this  great  country  of  ours!  I  think  I  do 
not  fall  a  victim  to  my  admiration  for  the  man  when  I  say 
that  but  for  him  the  fabric  woven  of  the  States  by  the  Con- 


THE  WOMAN  AND   JEALOUSY 


165 


stitution  would  have  fallen  asunder  in  the  early  days  of  trial 
that  followed  its  adoption  and  application  to  the  Union. 

I  have  omitted  to  tell  of  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution 
by  the  several  States.  Our  State,  I  am  proud  to  say,  was 
the  second  to  adopt  the  document,  ratifying  on  December 
12,  1787,  be 
ing  preceded 
only  by  Del 
aware,  which 
ratified  six 
days  earlier. 
New  Jersey 
fell  into  line 
six  days  later; 
Georgia  on 
the  second  of 
the  following 
January,  and 

Connecticut    "  LIGHT  HORSE  HARRY  "  LEE'S  GRAVE,  DUNGENESS,  GEORGIA 

on  January  9.  In  Massachusetts,  which  was  next  in  order, 
and  the  most  important  up  to  that  time  to  consider  the 
question,  excepting  Pennsylvania,  there  was  somewhat  of 
a  struggle ;  but  on  February  6  she,  too,  accepted  the  plan. 
Massachusetts  was  followed  by  Maryland,  April  28,  1788, 
and  South  Carolina,  May  23.  New  Hampshire  was  in  point 
of  time  the  ninth;  but  in  point  of  moral  importance,  so  to 
speak,  Virginia  was  the  deciding  State.  It  must  be  under 
stood  that  it  was  necessary  for  nine  States  to  ratify  in  order 
to  carry  the  day.  Up  to  this  time  eight  had  conformed. 
Now  Virginia  was  discussing  the  question  with  bitter  con 
tention.  Patrick  Henry,  George  Mason,  who  had  been  a 
delegate,  Benjamin  Harrison  and  John  Tyler,  each  of  whom 
has  had  a  son  rise  to  the  presidency,  James  Monroe,  a  future 
President,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  and  some  others  of  conse- 


1 66 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


quence,  opposed  the  Constitution.  Madison  was  the  chief 
champion  of  the  Union  in  the  Virginia  convention.  With 
him  were  Governor  Randolph,  whom  he  had  won  from  an 
original  opposition,  " Light  Horse  Harry"  Lee,  and  John 
Marshall,  destined  to  become  chief  justice  of  the  United 
States  and  by  his  masterly  decisions  win  a  place  second  only 


EDGE  HILL,  THE  HOME  OF  EDMUND  RANDOLPH 

to  Madison  and  Hamilton  among  the  founders  of  the  national 
government.  The  convention  met  on  June  2,  and  on  June 
25  ratified  the  Constitution.  The  result  was  magical,  for  at 
that  time  Virginia  was  not  only  believed  to  be  the  ninth  and 
deciding  State,  but  was  also  one  of  the  greatest  consequence 
and  one  without  which  the  Union  could  scarcely  stand. 
The  discussion  lasted  four  days  too  long,  however,  for  Vir 
ginia  to  win  that  distinction.  That  honor  was  reserved  for 
New  Hampshire,  whose  convention  ratified  the  Constitution 
on  June  21  by  a  vote  of  57  against  46. 

There  remained  of  the  important  States  only  New  York. 
New  York  was  won  by  Hamilton  by  means  of  the  "Federalist" 


THE  WOMAN  AND    JEALOUSY 


167 


papers,  in  which  he  was  assisted  by  Madison,  and,  I  am  told, 
by  John  Jay;  and  through  Hamilton's  eloquence  on  the 
floor  of  the  convention.  New  York  State  joined  the  ma 
jority  on  July  26,  and  the  fight  was  considered  won.  North 
Carolina  came  in  on  November  21  of  the  following  year, 
and  Rhode  Island,  always  refractory  and  intractable,  capitu 
lated  on  May 
29,  1790.  All 
this,  of 
course,  and 
what  I  shall 
now  proceed 
to  tell  about 
Hamilton's 
part  in  the 
construction 
of  the  govern- 
ment,  are 
matter  of  re 
port  with  me, 

and  common  knowledge.  Yet  I  feel  they  have  a  place  in 
these  reminiscences,  for  narration  of  the  events  here  may 
give  them  a  reality  and  vividness  through  the  personal 
element  that  they  might  not  otherwise  enjoy. 

But  I  do  remember  of  my  own  experience  the  magnificent 
pageant  that  our  city  saw  on  Independence  Day,  when  all 
the  States  had  ratified  except  New  York,  North  Carolina, 
and  Rhode  Island.  Five  thousand  citizens  were  in  the 
parade,  in  which  gorgeous  floats  represented  a  variety  of 
sentiments  dear  to  the  hearts  of  Americans  at  that  time. 
The  celebration  was  beyond  anything  that  had  been  known 
before  in  America. 

Another  scene  of  that  period  which  is  ineffaceable  from 
my  memory  was  the  occasion  of  Washington's  passing 


THE  OLD  HOUSE  ON  HIGH  STREET,  NOW  MARKET  STREET, 
PHILADELPHIA,  OCCUPIED  BY  PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON 


1 68  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

through  the  city  on  the  way  to  his  inauguration  in  New  York, 
in  1789.  He  rode  a  prancing  milk-white  charger,  and  was 
accompanied  by  troops.  I  stood  at  the  side  of  the  street 
with  my  aunt  and  little  Ruth,  overwhelmed  by  the  sight, 
and  resolving  unto  myself  mighty  deeds  for  the  future. 

Washington  selected  for  his  advisers  Hamilton,  as 
secretary  of  the  treasury;  Thomas  Jefferson,  then  minister  to 
France,  as  secretary  of  state;  Henry  Knox,  the  revolutionary 
general,  as  secretary  of  war;  and  Edmund  Randolph  as 
attorney  general.  But  the  work  of  construction  fell  upon 
Hamilton.  He  introduced  into  national  affairs  a  financial 
system  that  knit  the  fabric  together  closely.  He  brought 
it  to  pass,  not  without  great  opposition,  that  the  new  govern 
ment  should  assume  the  debts  of  the  old  Congress  to  foreign 
and  domestic  creditors,  and  also  the  debts  that  had  been 
incurred  by  the  several  States  in  the  War  of  Independence. 
This  did  more  to  unify  the  government  than  anything  that 
could  have  been  devised  by  the  wisest  statesman.  It  took 
from  the  States  their  private  burdens,  and  it  interested  the 
men  of  wealth  and  power  in  the  perpetuity  of  the  govern 
ment;  for  now  they  saw  hope  of  recovering  the  funds  they 
had  loaned,  if  only  they  could  keep  the  Union  intact.  At 
the  same  time,  the  promise  of  the  new  government  to  pay 
its  foreign  debtors  dollar  for  dollar  raised  our  foreign  credit 
beyond  hope. 

But  the  assumption  of  the  State  debts  developed  a  con 
flict  in  Congress  that  threatened  for  a  time  the  very  ends  for 
which,  in  part,  Hamilton  had  proposed  it.  Old  State  jeal 
ousies  were  strong;  States  that  had  heavy  debts  favored  it, 
while  those  that  had  settled  most  of  their  obligations  were 
hostile.  In  the  end,  a  bargain  was  made  between  Hamilton 
and  Jefferson  —  a  circumstance  that  is  strange  enough  when 
viewed  in  the  light  of  their  subsequent  careers.  In  exchange 
for  the  support  of  Virginia  in  the  assumption  programme. 


THE  WOMAN  AND   JEALOUSY  171 

Hamilton  and  his  followers  promised  to  award  the  proposed 
federal  city,  the  location  of  which  was  another  point  of  con 
tention,  to  the  Potomac  district. 

Another  device  by  which  Hamilton  enlisted  the  support 
of  the  strong  interests  of  the  country  for  the  government, 
was  the  formation  of  a  national  bank.  This  was  done  after 
the  temporary  seat  of  government  had  been  moved  to  Phila 
delphia  in  1791.  I  shall  never  forget  the  scene  about  the 
doors  of  the  building  where  the  bank  stock  was  opened  for 
subscriptions.  From  early  morning  men  of  business 
crowded  about,  eager  to  invest.  In  an  hour  the  stock  was 
all  gone. 

All  these  measures  created  dissensions  from  which 
developed  two  parties, —  the  Federalists,  led  by  Hamilton, 
and  the  Republicans,  organized  and  led  by  Jefferson. 
Madison,  at  first  a  Federalist,  left  the  party  on  the  issue  of 
assumption,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  working  with 
the  Republicans. 

It  was  in  December,  1791,  that  Congress  first  met  in  our 
town,  and  the  seat  of  government  was  transferred  there. 
It  was  the  occasion  of  much  bitterness  and  contention  in 
the  news  journals  of  the  day.  These,  by  the  way,  became 
very  scurrilous  and  brutal  and  developed  a  class  of  writers 
who,  I  think,  would  scarcely  be  tolerated  now. 

We  had  the  honor  of  receiving  in  our  town  the  first  min 
ister  from  England,  August  George  Hammond,  who  arrived 
in  August,  1791.  Charles  Pinckney  was  sent  by  Washington 
to  London  to  represent  the  United  States.  Our  foreign 
relations  at  this  time  were  none  too  good.  Indeed,  they  did 
not  become  sound  until  after  our  second  war  with  England. 

England  had  declined  to  surrender  certain  outposts  along 
the  frontier  which  were  awarded  to  us  in  the  treaty  of  Paris, 
asserting  that  we  had  not  carried  out  the  terms  of  the  treaty 
with  regard  to  Tories.  After  she  gave  them  up  she  con- 


172 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


tinned  to  abuse  us  in  the  matter  of  trade  rights.  France 
was  not  far  behind,  while  Spain,  which  still  held  possessions 
along  our  southern  and  southwestern  borders,  mistreated 
our  citizens  and  made  trouble  along  the  Mississippi.  Both 
England  and  Spain,  it  is  generally  believed,  incited  the 
Indians  to  attack  our  settlers,  which  led  to 

""  ~^"^&B^ 

much  fij^     bloodshed  and  tribulation  for  those 

hardy  men  who  went  as  pioneers 
into  the  new  country. 
The  Northwest  Ter 
ritory,  which  had 
been  turned  over 
to  the  government 
by  Eastern  States 
whose  claim  to 
the  country  :  was 
founded  on  their 
charters  and  royal 
land  grants,  and 
which  was  gov 
erned  under  an  or 
dinance  passed  in 
1787  by  the  old  Con 
tinental  Congress,  had 
been  rapidly  settled  by  old 
soldiers  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Ohio 
company,  which  bought  the  land 
from  Congress.  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  had  been  .settled 
earlier,  largely  by  emigrants  from  the  Carolinas  and  Vir 
ginia.  So  at  this  time  we  had  a  considerable  population 
on  the  wild  frontier  who  hunted,  trapped,  and  farmed.  A 
rough,  strong,  vigorous  lot  they  were;  men  of  infinite  courage 
and  daring,  and  indomitable  persistence. 


CHARLES  PINCKNEY 


THE  WOMAN  AND   JEALOUSY 

All  this  time  we  had  been  living  happily  enough  under 
my  aunt's  roof,  my  aunt,  Margaret,  and  I.  Margaret  seemed 
to  find  much  happiness  in  loving  me.  I  am  sure  that  it 
must  have  been  loneliness  and  a  strong  mother  instinct  that 
made  her,  for  I  clearly  remember  that  I  was  a  lad  full  of  my 
pranks,  and  of  myself  not  wholly  lovable,  although  I  hope 


THE  PULPIT  AND  CHANCEL  OF  CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA 

I  may  say  with  truth  that  I  was  not  mean,  arid  I  certainly 
was  not  deceitful  beyond  the  measure  of  every  boy  who 
makes  innocent  mischief,  for  deceit  is  a  thing  that  I  do  now 
and  always  have  abhorred.  And  whatever  my  faults,  I 
returned  Margaret's  affection  for  me  with  my  whole  heart. 
By  degrees  she  took  from  my  aunt  the  care  of  my  in 
struction,  having  a  taste  for  teaching,  and  some  experience 
in  it  before  she  came  to  us.  Little  Ruth  Gardner,  my  sweet 
heart,  was  also  in  her  care,  which  brought  us  much  together 
in  the  pleasantest  relations.  Ab  pleasant,  that  is,  as  the 
condition  of  a  small  boy  can  be  when  he  is  being  taught. 


174 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Soon  after  the  coming  of  the  government  to  Philadelphia 
I  noted,  with  the  quick  observation  of  my  years,  a  change 
in  Margaret,  to  which  I  attached  no  particular  importance 
or  significance.  Indeed,  at  the  time  I  thought  nothing  of  it. 
Margaret,  at  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  had  lost  some 
of  her  buoyancy.  She  fell  into  occasional  moods  of  un 
easiness,  at  odds  with  her  peace  of  mind.  She  seemed  in 
f  fear  that  something  might  happen  to  her.  I  know  that 
now,  when  I  consider  her  deportment  in  the  light  of 
my  later  experience  with  the  world.  I  remember 
when  the  change  began.  It  arose  from  a  circum 
stance  that  aroused  my  curiosity  at  the  time.  We  were 
walking  through  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  having 
returned  from  a  ramble  along  the  Schuylkill.  As 
we  passed — Ruth  was  with  us  —  Margaret  suddenly 
took  each  of  us  by  an  arm  and  led  us  into  a  by 


street  which  was 


out  of  our  way.    I  looked 
inquiring  with  my  eyes 
"  >r  it.     I  could  see 
that     her    counte 
nance  was  pale  and 
that  she  was  dis 
tressed  in  mind. 
Later,    when 
events    grew,    I 
remembered  that 


(  a  s    we    were 
walking    along 
•nn  a    man, 
I  I     had 
8^-  never 
seen  be 
fore  and 
whom    I 


CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA 


THE  WOMAN  AND   JEALOUSY  175 

wished  to  God  I  had  never  seen  again,  turned  into  our 
street  and  proceeded  ahead  of  us  in  the  same  direction 
that  we  took.  He  arrested  my  attention  because  of  a  certain 
peculiarity  of  person  and  gait,  being  a  stout,  roundish  man 
with  a  limp  in  one  leg,  that  gave  him  a  bouncing  walk,  like 
a  soft  rubber  ball  tossed  across  the  ground. 


INTERIOR  OF  CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA 

It  was  not  until  afterward  that  I  connected  him  with  the 
behavior  of  our  companion  on  that  occasion.  But  I  was 
soon  to  learn  how  much  the  one  had  to  do  with  the  other; 
and  during  my  life  I  learned  so  much  more  of  the  fellow  that 
I  have  often  regretted  that  a  thunderbolt  did  not  come  down 
out  of  the  sky  and  strike  him  that  first  day  I  saw  him. 

That,  as  I  have  said,  was  the  beginning  of  Margaret's 
uneasiness.  Whether  she  told  my  aunt  the  story  or  not,  I 
am  not  certain;  but  certain  I  am  that  my  aunt  arrived  at  a 
knowledge  of  it,  either  by  word  of  mouth  or  by  intuition,  a 
source  of  information  quite  as  active  and  much  more  trust 
worthy  in  many  women.  This  occurred  some  time  after  the 


76 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


first  episode  before  the  climax  came  of  which  I  am  to  speak, 
To  be  accurate,  it  was  in  December,  in  the  year  1791. 
I  can  place  the  date  with  precision,  because  it  was  associated 
with  another  event  which,  though  important,  had  no  imme 
diate  bearing  on  it,  and  of  which  I  shall  speak  subsequently. 
We  had  been  skating  on  the  Schuylkill  that  day;  at  least, 
we  had  been  to  watch  the  sport.  It  was  a  pleasant  day,  and 
many  people  were  out  to  enjoy  the  ice.  We  tarried  longer 
than  our  wont,  so  that  when  we  started  for  our  home  it  was 
already  falling  dusk.  I  wondered  over  it  at  the  time.  Now 
I  know  that  we  were  so  late  in  going  home  because  Margaret 
had  warning  of  what  was  to  happen,  and  sought  to  avoid 
it  under  shelter  of  the  \  darkness. 

We  t      were  tripping   along   merrily 

enough,   as  I  thought, 
I  making  an  excuse 
of  the  cold  to  cuddle 
Ruth's       little 
hand  in  my 
own.  When 
we    were 
still,    as    I 
judge, 
about     a 
furlong 
from   our 
cottage, 
Margaret 
reached 
down 
and 
grasped 
me   by 
the  shoul- 


SIDE  VIEW  OF  INDEPENDENCE  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA 


THE   WOMAN  AND    JEALOUSY  177 

der  with  a  twitch  that  set  me  to  gritting  my  teeth  in  order 
to  keep  from  crying  out.  I  looked  to  see  the  cause  of  it, 
and  there  stood  the  man  we  had  nearly  encountered  on 
that  other  day  when  she  led  us  home  by  the  back  ways. 

This  time  he  saw  Margaret  as  well,  for  he  approached 
directly  with  a  grin  on  his  fat  face  that  was  half  a  laugh  and 
half  a  scowl,  being  strangely  mixed  with  pleasure  and  malice. 
I  should  not  be  able  to  describe  the  grin  so  well,  having 
seen  it  then  only  in  the  half-light  and  as  a  lad,  but  I  have 
so  often  seen  it  since  that  it  is  the  expression  which  I  habit 
ually  put  upon  the  man's  face  when  I  recall  him  to  memory. 

''I  thought  you  were  here,"  he  said,  in  low  voice,  when 
he  came  up  to  us.  "I  had  heard  stories  about  you  that 
made  me  think  so.  I  am  glad  I  have  found  you." 

Margaret,  who  had  recovered  herself  so  quickly  that 
there  was  no  sign  of  the  consternation  by  the  time  the  man 
was  close  enough  to  read  her  face,  answered  him  plainly, 
''I  am  not  glad  you  have  found  me,"  she  said;  "neither  am 
I  sorry,"  she  added,  as  an  afterthought. 

"It  is  kind  of  you  to  say  that  much,"  said  the  man. 
"Why  did  you  come  here,  then,  if  you  are  not  sorry  to  see 
me?" 

"You  flatter  yourself  to  think  you  could  have  so  much 
effect  upon  the  order  of  my  life,"  she  replied.  "Let  me 
pass."  For  the  fellow  stood  blocking  our  way.  Perhaps 
it  was  prophetic  that  I  should  loathe  him  already;  but  I 
surely  did  despise  him,  in  that  first  moment. 

The  grin  left  his  face.  "Do  you  think  I  shall  let  you 
pass  so  easily,  now  that  I  have  found  you  again?"  he 
growled.  "You  have  done  me  an  injury,  Margaret,  but  I 
am  willing  to  overlook  that,"  he  added,  as  if  to  make  him 
self  appear  in  pleasanter  frame  of  mind  with  a  quick  change. 
"Come,  what  you  have  done  is  no  reason  why  we  should 
not  be  friends." 


1 78  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

"What  you  have  done  is  no  reason  why  we  should  be  so," 
she  returned. 

"What  I  will  do  shall  be  a  reason  then/7  he  went  on,  in 
a  tone  that  I  thought  threatening. 

"Let  me  pass.     It  is  late,  and  I  must  be  getting  back," 

"I  shall  let  you  pass,  but  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  the 
man. 

"You  shall  not!"  she  answered,  emphatically.  "If  I 
stand  till  I  perish  in  the  cold,  you  shall  not  know  where 
I  live." 

"That  will  be  rather  cruel  to  the  children,"  he  sneered. 

But  the  children,  at  least  one  of  them,  was  about  to  enter 
into  the  situation  in  quite  a  different  manner.  I  had  been 
in  deadly  fear  from  the  first,  and  should  have  wept  and 
howled  in  the  dilemma,  I  make  no  doubt,  if  I  had  been  left 
any  discretion  in  the  matter.  But  I  was  not.  I  considered 
that  I  was  the  only  man  in  the  defense  of  these  two  helpless 
women;  and  the  presence  of  my  loved  one  made  me  bold. 
I  had  often  lain  awake  of  nights  dreaming  of  some  such 
adventure  in  which  I  might  prove  my  love  by  sacrificing 
myself  against  mighty  odds  in  the  behalf  of  Ruth.  Now 
the  opportunity  was  come. 

Thrusting  her  aside,  for  she  was  weeping  in  my  arms,  I 
flung  my  puny  weight  straight  against  the  man's  legs  and 
struck  manfully  at  his  thighs  with  my  doubled  fists.  The 
spectacle  must  have  been  ludicrous.  Indeed,  after  the 
lapse  of  years,  I  can  smile  at  it  myself,  although  at  the  time 
it  had  a  deadly  earnestness  for  me  that  deprived  it  of  all 
appearance  of  humor. 

Whether  it  was  the  surprise  of  my  impetuous  assault,  or 
the  icy  pavement  that  contributed  to  the  result,  or  his  being 
crippled  by  a  leg  once  broken,  I  cannot  say;  but  I  do  know 
that  the  man,  struggling  for  a  moment  to  disengage  me  from 
his  knees,  fell  heavily  to  the  walk.  From  that  moment  I 


THE  WOMAN  AND   JEALOUSY  179 

knew  no  more  until  the  affair  was  over;  for  either  in  falling, 
or  with  a  deliberate  purpose,  he  struck  me  with  his  heel, 
rendering  me  quite  unconscious  for  the  time. 

When  I  recovered  my  senses  we  were  in  my  aunt's  house, 
with  Margaret  and  herself  weeping  over  me  —  it  was  the 


WASHINGTON'S  PEW  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA 

first  time  I  ever  saw  her  in  tears  and  the  last  —  and  Ruth 
was  sobbing  in  the  corner. 

But  there  was  another  in  the  room,  a  tall,  handsome 
young  man  with  long, curling  hair  and  the  dress  of  a  frontiers 
man.  In  his  eye,  too,  was  a  tear,  and  on  his  face  a  faint 
smile  of  amusement,  and,  I  fancy,  approval.  For  the  mo 
ment  when  I  first  looked  into  his  blue  eyes  he  burst  upon 
my  life  in  the  full  effulgence  of  heroic  manhood.  And  in  the 
many  things  that  have  come  and  gone  between  that  time 
and  this  he  has  never  lost  the  least  jot  of  the  worship  with 
which  my  quick  boyish  fancy  hedged  him  about  that  night 
in  December,  1791. 


CHAPTER  III 


ALEXANDER    HAMILTON 

THE  man  whom  I  beheld  in  my  aunt's  cottage  when  I 
came    out     of    my    unconsciousness    was     Sylvester 
Stevens,  frontiersman,  pioneer,  and  Indian  fighter;  the  same 
who  had  brought  Margaret  to  us.     He  had  been  a  soldier 
of          ^-—~ — ---\    the   Revolution     from  first   to  last. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  love 
of  adventure  had  led  him  into 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee, 
where  he  drifted  about 
more  like  a  knight- errant 
than  any  other  man  I 
have  known  in  my  whole 
life,  rushing  always  to 
any  danger  point  and 
bringing  with  him  the 
succor  of  his  rifle  and 
knife.  What  his  errand 
was  in  Philadelphia  I 
shall  presently  tell.  But 
first  I  must  explain  his  pres 
ence  in  my  aunt's  house,  as 
it  was  explained  to  me  by 
degrees.  It  appears  that 
when  the  man  whom  I  had 
attacked  had  rid  himself 
of  this  trifling  impediment,  he  was,  for  a  moment,  very 
angry,  and  so  far  lost  control  of  his  judgment  as  to  lay  a 
hand  on  Margaret,  as  though  he  would  drag  her  away.  I  may 

1 80 


MARTHA  WASHINGTON    (From  the  portrait 
by  Gilbert  Stuart] 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  181 

observe  here  that  I  have  found  the  fellow  capable  of  any 

thing  from  which  he  was  not  deterred  by  a  sense  of  personal 

fear  or  policy.     At  that  juncture,  which,  I  am  convinced, 

was    not    as    critical    as    it     seemed, 

Sylvester  Stevens  chanced  to  appear. 

Without  delaying  for  any  explana 

tion,  he  fell  upon  the  scoundrel, 

and  would   undoubtedly  have 

killed  him  with  his  naked  fists 

if  Margaret   had    not    inter 

vened. 

Having     relieved    her    of 
danger,  the  rescuer  discovered 
that  it  was  Margaret  whom  he' 
had  aided.  The  meeting  betwee^ 
them,  naturally,  I  cannot  describe" 
as  an  eye-  wit  ness,  but  Ruth,  who 
still  had  her  eyes,  told  me  some 

thing    of    it.      The     man     was     SO   MAJOR-GENERAL  ARTHUR  SAINT- 
PC  iii  i          r          r  CLAIR  (After  the  portrait 

affected   that    he    was    bereft    of  by  c.  w. 


speech  at  learning  who  it  was  whom  he  had  rescued,  while 
Margaret  betrayed  more  emotion  than  in  the  moment  when 
the  stranger  accosted  her.  These  circumstances  I  now 
believe  I  understand,  but  at  that  time  they  furnished 
only  mystery  for  my  imagination  to  play  upon. 

I  should  not  have  spoken  of  Margaret's  assailant  as  a 
stranger  to  her.  It  was  obvious  from  the  first  that  they 
were  known  to  each  other.  I  learned  later  that  he  was 
one  Nicholas  Snell  of  New  York,  a  politician  and  hench 
man  of  the  nefarious  Burr,  and  that  Margaret  had  come 
to  Philadelphia  to  escape  both  from  him  and  from  Burr. 

Now  let  me  return  along  the  way  I  have  come  in  order  to 
tell  something  more  of  Sylvester  Stevens,  and  how  he  came  to 
be  in  Philadelphia  at  this  time.  As  I  have  said,  he  was  a 


182  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

modern  knight- errant.  In  the  year  1790,  shortly  after  the 
organization  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  of  which  Genera] 
Arthur  Saint- Clair  was  made  governor,  the  Indians  along 
the  Ohio,  incited  by  the  English  commandant  at  Detroit, 
went  on  marauding  expeditions  against  the  settlers.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year  General  Harmar  went  out  from  Fort 
Washington  with  a  force  of  1500  militia  and  regulars  to 
punish  the  redskins.  After  burning  some  villages  and  de 
stroying  some  crops,  he  would  have  returned,  but  Colonel 
Hardin,  the  junior  officer,  insisted  upon  going  farther  in 
pursuit  of  the  savages,  and  he  fell  into  an  ambuscade  in 
which  the  militia  behaved  badly  and  the  regulars  were 
nearly  all  killed.  Returning,  he  prevailed  upon  Harmar 
to  permit  him  to  turn  back  with  another  force.  The  result 
was  renewed  disaster  at  the  head  of  the  Maumee  River, 
accompanied  by  great  slaughter  of  Americans.  When 
Harmar  heard  of  this,  he  despaired  of  doing  anything  with 
the  militia,  for  it  had  been  the  fault  of  the  raw  troops  that 
misfortune  attended  our  arms.  In  this  campaign  Sylvester 
Stevens  acted  as  guide.  It  was  due  to  his  cool  bravery 
that  those  few  who  finally  found  their  way  back  to  the  main 
force  escaped  from  the  head  of  the  Maumee. 

In  the  spring  of  the  next  year  Saint- Clair  himself  took 
the  field  against  the  Indians.  Our  President,  with  his  great 
wisdom  in  such  affairs,  earnestly  advised  him  to  use  caution 
against  Indian  surprise,  which  had  been  the  ruin  of  Harmar's 
expedition,  as  well  as  many  other  well-laid  military  plans. 
Saint- Clair  was  not  ready  to  start  until  late  in  September. 
He  had  with  him  3000  troops,  2000  of  whom  were  regulars. 
General  Butler  was  in  command.  The  plan  of  the  cam 
paign  was  to  build  roads  and  establish  forts  along  the  fron 
tier,  thus  penetrating  the  West. 

On  November  3,  after  an  arduous  march,  the  army  was  on 
the  banks  of  a  stream  flowing  into  the  upper  Wabash.  By 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  183 

this  time,  what  with  leaving  garrisons  behind  and  with  de 
sertions  on  the  part  of  the  militia,  the  active  force  was  reduced 
to  1400.  The  militia  spent  the  night  on  the  farther  side  of 
the  stream;  the  regulars,  with  cannon,  rested  on  the  other 
side.  The  next  morning,  after  roll-call,  when  the  soldiers 
were  preparing  their  breakfast,  the  Indians  attacked  them, 
and  the  thing  happened  against  which  ^ 


Saint-Clair   had  been   so  urgently    w '  M         g\  Ji 

warned     by    Washington.      ^— ~ **Z^H     Hill 

The  fight   between  ^ 
the    regulars    and   the 
Indians  must  have  been 
a  terrific  strug 
gle.     I  have       "iMte^M 
often     heard     :mj^  LiJ 
Sylvester  de 
scribe  it;    for 
he  was  present 

and    T  am  rer-  ALEXANDER  HAMILTON'S  HOUSE  IN  PHILADELPHIA 

tain  did  much  to  hold  the  savages  at  bay  for  the  brief 
space  of  time  that  the  Americans  were  able  to  repulse  them. 
The  Indians  fought  with  their  usual  tactics,  leaping  from 
covert  to  covert,  all  the  while  giving  vent  to  their  horrid 
shrieks.  The  cannon  had  little  effect,  since  the  enemy  was 
not  massed;  and  while  the  guns  were  being  loaded  the 
Indians  rushed  in  and  tomahawked  the  gunners. 

Saint-Clair,  who  was  an  old  man,  and  infirm,  did  his 
utmost  to  retrieve  a  victory,  rushing  up  and  down  the  field 
with  his  white  hair  streaming;  but  the  thing  was  beyond 
hope.  General  Butler  was  tomahawked  and  scalped  as  his 
wounds  were  being  dressed.  Eight  bullets  passed  through 
the  clothing  of  the  commander;  it  would  have  been  better 
for  him  if  one  of  the  bullets  had  ended  his  career  then  and 
there,  for  the  poor  man  came  to  a  dishonored  old  age,  brought 


1 84  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

on  more  by  misfortune  than  by  lack  of  honest  effort.  His 
management  of  the  expedition  was  investigated  by  Congress, 
and  he  was  relieved  from  blame ;  but  more  because  the  Con 
gress  could  thereby  throw  odium  upon  Hamilton  and  Knox 
through  putting  the  blame  upon  them  for  faulty  arrange 
ments. 

And  now  comes  the  link  that  connects  that  affair  with  our 
little  circle  in  my  aunt's  cottage.     After  the  disaster  Saint- 
Clair,  retreating  to  Fort  Washington,  leaving  his 
dead    and    wounded    to   savage     devices,   sent 
forward  Sylvester  Stevens  to  make  the  report  in 
Philadelphia.     He  had  just  done  so,  and  was 
passing  through  the  streets  from  that  errand 
to  visit  Margaret  when  he  encountered  our 
adventure,  with  the   immediate   results   that 
I   have   narrated. 

But  before  I  pass,  I  must  narrate  an  inci 
dent  that  happened  when  Sylvester  brought 
the  news  to  Washington.     The    President 
was  at  dinner  with  a  company  when  Saint- 
Clair's  message  was  handed  to  him.     He 
preserved    command   of   himself   until  he 

WASHINGTON'S  PROPILE  (Photographed     gained  a  Private  TOOm,  where  he  burst  into 

from  the  original  silhouette)  such  a  torrent  of  grief,  anger,  and  invection 

against  Saint-Clair  as  is  seldom  seen  in  man.  I  had  the 
story  in  after  years  from  Tobias  Lear,  his  secretary  at  the 
time. 

"Here,"  cried  the  great  man,  wringing  his  hands  as  he 
stalked  the  floor,  "yes,  here,  on  this  very  spot,  I  took  leave 
of  him.  I  wished  him  success  and  honor.  '  You  have  your 
instructions,'  I  said, '  from  the  secretary  of  war.  I  had  a  strict 
eye  to  them,  and  will  add  but  one  word  —  beware  of  a  sur 
prise!  I  repeat  it:  Beware  of  a  surprise  1  You  know  how 
the  Indians  fight  us.'  He  went  off  with  that,  as  my  last 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  185 

solemn  warning,  thrown  into  his  ears.  And  yet,  to  suffer 
that  army  to  be  cut  to  pieces,  hacked,  butchered,  toma 
hawked  by  a  surpise,  the  very  thing  I  warned  him  against ! 
O  God!  O  God!  He  is  worse  than  a  murderer!  How 
can  he  answer  for  it  to  his  country?  The  blood  of  the  slain 
is  upon  him;  the  curses  of  widows  and  orphans  —  the  curse 
of  Heaven!" 

It  may  grieve  some  who  are  prone  to  elevate  our  great 
President  into  an  idolatry  to  learn  that  he  gave   way  to 
such  human  passions;   for  my  part,  I  am  glad 
to  know  that  he  had  human  frailties  to  that 
extent,     I  am  glad  of  this  evidence  of  flesh 
and  blood;  for  within  my  time  the  memory 
of  the  man  has  been  so  crystallized  into  a 
cloak  of  diamonds,  so  to  speak,  that  the 
man  himself  is  only  too. likely  to  be  lost 
beneath  the   unnatural   luster,  which  is  a 
pity,    for  he    was    great    and    magnificent 
enough  to  stand  above  all  other  men  without 
false  aids. 

It  fell  out  that  that  very  night  Alexander 
Hamilton  came  to  spend  an  hour  with  my  ^j^^  MARTHA  WASHINGTON'S  P 

.  .    ^^  FILE    (Photographed  fron 

aunt.     It  may  seem  strange  that  a  man  or  the  original  silhouette) 

his  importance  in  national  affairs,  and  one  with  his  great 
mind  and  large  interests,  should  pursue  an  acquaintance 
with  such  a  one  as  my  aunt.  I  have  found  myself  wonder 
ing  at  his  visits  not  a  little  as  I  look  back  upon  them  from 
later  life.  But  I  long  ago  determined  in  my  mind  that  there 
was  only  one  main  purpose  in  them,  and  that  was  purely  in 
the  way  of  intellectual  friendship;  for  it  must  be  understood 
that  the  woman  by  whom  I  was  reared  was  of  no  mediocre 
mind. 

Hamilton,  then,  came  to  our  cottage  on  this  night,  finding 
Margaret  in  a  state  of  perturbation,  and  myself  a  hero  with 


1 86  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

his  head  done  up.  My  aunt  took  him  into  the  confidence 
of  the  adventure,  he  having  played  a  part  in  what  went  be 
fore.  He  was  visibly  aroused.  Indeed,  I  had  never  seen 
him  so  affected  in  private,  even  when  his  governmental 
policies  were  most  seriously  threatened  and  opposed. 

He  listened  to  the  story  and  advised  with  them.  It 
seems  that  Snell  was  an  employee  of  the  government,  having 
obtained  a  sinecure  of  some  sort  through  his  connection 
with  New  York  politics,  in  which  Burr  was  beginning  to 
mingle  with  a  coterie  of  young  fellows  who  had  nothing  to 
lose  and  much  to  gain.  In  the  end  it  was  settled  that  Mar 
garet  should  pay  a  visit  to  a  family  in  Virginia. 

What  was  our  surprise  the  next  day  to  learn  that  the 
family  she  was  going  to  see  was  the  family  of  Sylvester 
Stevens,  and  that  he  was  to  accompany  them  there.  Mar 
garet  herself  was  more  astonished  than  any  one  else,  and 
exhibited  some  reluctance  about  going  when  she  ascertained 
the  truth.  But  my  aunt  persuaded  her,  and  she  went,  at  last, 
quite  happy. 

When  she  returned  two  months  later  she  was  quite 
changed.  I  did  not  understand  then  the  cause  of  her  trans 
formation.  I  have  since  concluded  that  it  was  the  alchemy 
of  love ;  that  she  came  back  filled  with  thoughts  of  Sylvester, 
who  tarried  with  her  a  month  at  his  home  before  he  went 
again  to  the  frontier.  I  believe  that  no  word  of  love  passed 
between  the  two,  for  Sylvester  was  not  one  to  speak  readily 
of  such  matters;  but  subsequent  developments  convinced 
me  that  each  had  a  subtle  understanding  of  the  attitude  of 
the  other. 

After  her  return,  as  I  have  intimated,  she  was  quite 
happy.  The  rogue  Snell  discovered  presently  where  she 
lived,  and  annoyed  her  to  some  extent,  but  at  last  desisted, 
finding  more  than  a  match  in  her  and  my  aunt.  So  for  the 
present  he  passed  out  of  our  lives. 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON 


187 


Meanwhile,  the  government  was  becoming  more  and 
more  secure.  Hamilton's  policies  of  centralization  were 
triumphant.  It  is  true  that  they  had  many  enemies;  that 
certain  papers  bitterly  assailed  the  party  in  power,  and  an 
other  was  beginning  to  grow.  But  for  the  time  Federal 
ism,  as  it  was 
termed,  was 
in  the  ascen 
dancy. 

There  was 
at  this  time 
much  wild 
speculation  in 
scrip  and  bank 
stock,  and  an 
unsettled  con 
dition  of  finan 
cial  affairs,  due 
to  the  dishon 
orable  greed 
of  rich  men. 
This  was 
turned  against 
Hamilton,  who 
was  even  ac 
cused  of  profit 
ing  through  it. 

But  that  was  a  lie;  he  never  had  a  desire  to  grow  rich, 
and  never  so  much  as  took  up  those  honest  opportunities 
to  do  so  which  came  to  him  then  or  afterward. 

Another  element  was  introduced  about  this  time  into 
national  affairs  and  it  had  much  effect  upon  them.  This 
was  the  French  Revolution.  France  had  beheaded  her  king, 
and  the  widowed  queen,  Marie  Antoinette,  was  guillotined. 


Louis  XVI  OF  FRANCE 


1 88  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

A  reign  of  blood  and  terror  followed.  The  French  republic 
found  frenzied  partisans  in  our  own  country.  Americans  con 
fused  their  own  ideas  of  liberty  with  the  French  doctrines, 
which  were  nothing  in  the  last  analysis  but  license  and  an 
archy.  I  remember  the  jubilee  in  Philadelphia  when  news 
came  of  the  declaration  of  war  against  England  by  the  new 
republic.  French  fashions  came  into  general  vogue;  the 
white  cockade  was  almost  universal  for  a  time;  all  titles  gave 
way  in  common  address  to  that  of  Citizen,  as  used  by  the 
French.  Thomas  Jefferson,  ever  ready  and  able  to  ride 
forward  on  the  crest  of  a  popular  wave,  launched  the  Re 
publican  party  upon  the  fervid  tide  of  French  sentiment 
and  secured  much  gain  to  the  party  from  it. 

But  the  furore  wore  itself  out ;  the  zeal  was  too  great  to 
be  maintained  by  the  American  temperament.  From  the 
first,  there  were  those  who  mistrusted  the  French  Revolution, 
and  feared  it.  Among  them  was  Hamilton.  By  degrees  a 
reaction  set  in  in  their  direction.  It  was  a  Frenchman  who 
finally  cured  Americans  of  the  fever,  and  reduced  the  craze 
to  a  harmless  state.  This  was  the  Citizen  Edmond  Charles 
Genet,  who  had  been  sent  by  the  Directory  to  prevail  upon 
the  United  States  to  fight  for  France  against  England. 

Washington  declared  for  neutrality  when  war  broke  out 
between  France  and  George  III.  Against  this  stand  there 
was  an  outcry,  many  contending  that  we  should  lend  a  help 
ing  hand  to  our  sister  republic  in  her  hour  of  need,  as  she 
had  helped  us.  I  must  confess  that,  at  the  time,  the  cry  had 
its  effect  upon  my  youthful  imagination  and  I  inveighed 
against  the  government  with  the  best  of  them,  according  to 
my  abilities.  Later,  when  I  became  satisfied  that  Ver- 
gennes  lent  the  aid  of  France  to  the  rebellious  colonies  not 
for  any  love  of  liberty  in  America  but  because  of  his  hatred 
of  England,  and  that  he  had  been  willing  to  pare  the  new 
nation  to  the  core  at  the  time  of  the  negotiations  for  peace 


MARIE  ANTOINETTE  GOING  TO  HER  EXECUTION   (From  the  painting  by  Flameng) 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  191 

in  Paris,  I  grew  ashamed  of  my  fervor.  I  must  say  for  my 
aunt  that  she  at  all  times  good-naturedly  laughed  at  me,  and 
had  a  view  of  the  situation  which  time  justified  as  perfectly 
sane  and  sound. 

Genet  landed  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  His 
coming  added  fuel  to  the  popular  flame.  My  countrymen 
overlooked  the  point  that  an  accredited  envoy  should  first 
report  to  the  government  to  which  he  was  sent.  Genet's 
blunder  in  that  matter  was  only  an  index  to  his  whole  mis 
taken  career  as  the  agent  of  France.  He  not  only  made  that 
initial  mistake,  but  followed  it  immediately  with  the  more 
grave  error  of  permitting  the  French  ship  that  had  brought 
him  to  make  seizures  of  British  vessels  in  our  own  waters 
and  bring  prizes  into  our  own  ports.  The  ship,  VInsurgentey 
sailed  from  Charleston  to  Philadelphia  with  prizes,  while 
he  made  the  journey  overland,  being  received  along  the  way 
with  triumphant  acclaim. 

He  was  received  coldly  enough  by  Washington,  though 
Jefferson's  attitude  toward  him  was  cordial.  Jefferson  for 
some  time  had  been  out  of  tune  with  the  administration. 
He  had  fallen  into  a  quarrel  with  Hamilton.  It  was  carried 
into  the  press  and  finally  brought  to  an  issue  before  Washing 
ton  himself.  Genet  was  feasted  in  Philadelphia,  and  later 
in  New  York,  but  he  brought  about  his  downfall  eventually 
by  an  attempt  to  discredit  Washington,  who  maintained  a 
position  of  neutrality  despite  his  pleas  and  protests.  The 
hot-headed  Gaul  threatened  to  go  behind  him  and  appeal 
to  the  people.  He  also  acted  in  bad  faith  in  the  matter  of 
outfitting  vessels  as  privateers  and  commissioning  American 
citizens  as  French  officers.  His  final  act  was  a  flagrant 
violation  of  amity  in  permitting  a  vessel  to  be  fitted  out  in 
Philadelphia  and  go  to  sea,  in  which  matter  he  disregarded 
his  own  promises.  The  sentiments  of  Americans  turned 
from  him  at  last,  and  his  own  government  recalled  him. 


192 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


He  did  not  return  to  France,  however,  being  in  fear  of  his 
life,  but  settled  in  New  York,  becoming  an  American  citizen 
and  marrying  a  daughter  of  Governor  George  Clinton. 

In  this  year  Philadelphia  was  visited  by  the  yellow  fever, 
as  it  is  now  called.  I  shall  never  forget  the  terrible  scenes 
in  our  city  during  that  time;  the  death  that  stalked  swiftly 
through  our  streets,  and  the  terror  of  death 
that  sent  our  citizens  flying  into  the 
country. 

My  aunt  would  not  listen  to 
those  who  advised  her  to  flee  with 
the  others  who  sought  safety  away 
from  the  stricken  place.  She 
stayed  behind,  heroically  doing 
what  she  could  to  allay  the 
suffering  of  the  sick  and  tending 
to  the  last  wants  of  the  dying. 
At  last  the  sickness  entered  our 
cottage,  laying  hold  of  Margaret, 
who  had  not  been  behind  my  aunt 
in  works  of  mercy.  For  a  long 
time  she  hovered  between  life  and 
death,  but  when  cold  weather  came  she  mended.  Indeed, 
under  the  effects  of  frost  the  epidemic  died  away  until 
nothing  remained  of  it  but  the  desolation  of  so  many 
homes. 

Now  occurred  one  of  those  scenes  which  have  lingered 
in  memory  through  my  life.  We  were  seated  about  the 
bed  where  Margaret  lay  recuperating  her  strength.  .We 
were  very  happy,  for  she  was  making  much  headway 
toward  health.  Ruth  was  with  us,  having  come  to  partake 
of  our  joy,  and  sat  by  my  side,  with  her  timid  little  hand 
unquestioningly  in  mine.  There  was  a  knock  at  the  door. 
My  aunt  opened  it  to  a  young  man  with  dark  hair,  frank 


CITIZEN  EDMOND  CHARLES  GENET 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON  193 

eyes,  and  a  chin  that  slanted  away  too  much  from  his  mouth. 
But  for  all  that  he  was  not  unpleasant  to  look  at. 

When  Margaret  saw  him,  she  gave  a  little  cry.  As  I 
recall  it,  there  was  principally  surprise  in  her  tone.  I  am 
sure  there  was  little  joy;  there  was  rather  a  note  of  dismay. 

The  man  came  toward  her,  stretching  out  his  hands  and 
calling  her  by  name.  "Margaret!  Margaret!  I  have 
been  waiting  at  Baltimore  until  it  was  safe  to  come." 

"Why,"  she  answered,  "are  they  still  pursuing  you?" 

"No,  but  the  plague  kept  me  away." 

I  thought  at  the  time  that  it  was  a  strange  thing  for  a 
lover  to  be  withheld  from  his  sweetheart  by  fear  of  plague, 
or  any  other  danger;  for  by  this  time  we  had  all  divined 
that  this  man  was  her  lover. 

We  soon  learned  the  rest,  however.  The  man  was  one 
Trumbull  Erskine.  The  two  had  been  betrothed  in  New 
York  at  the  end  of  the  war,  but  he,  being  a  Tory,  had  fled 
before  the  return  of  the  American  troops.  During  the  years 
that  had  intervened  since  their  last  meeting  there  had  been 
a  misunderstanding  between  them,  he  believing  her  faith 
less.  In  that  belief,  after  many  vicissitudes,  he  had  joined 
the  English  army,  in  which  he  was  now  a  lieutenant.  He 
had  come  to  Philadelphia  in  response  to  a  letter  from  a 
friend  who  knew  the  story,  and  who  had  sought  him  out 
after  the  episode  between  Margaret  and  Nicholas  Snell. 

Margaret,  after  the  first  shock  of  meeting,  treated  him 
kindly  and  with  growing  joy;  though  now  I  believe  her 
affection  was  a  display  that  her  loyal  heart  forced  upon  her. 
It  was  settled  that  they  should  be  wed  as  soon  as  she  should 
be  well  enough;  and  wedded  they  were. 

I  remember  well  that  she  seemed  to  shrink  from  him, 
almost  imperceptibly,  as  the  time  approached;  and  when 
they  were  married  at  last,  I  considered  her  countenance  and 
bearing  quite  out  of  keeping  with  the  event. 


CHAPTER  IV 
HISTORY,    AND   A   DISCLOSURE 

IT  was  at  about  this  time  of  my  life  that  I  first  began 
seriously  to  ponder  the  mystery  of  my  parentage,  and 
to  become  sensitive  to  it.  Perhaps  I  was  forced  to  a  con 
templation  of  it  by  the  attitude  of  some  of  my  little  play 
fellows,  who,  with  the  unfailing  divination  of  children, 
learned  that  there  was  some  mystery  about  me,  and  twitted 
me  with  it.  But  not  so  Ruth.  If  anything,  she  loved  me 
the  more  for  it,  and  was  often  my  champion,  to  my  shame, 
against  those  who  teased  me. 

My  own  distress  of  mind  and  the  taunts  of  my  com 
panions  led  me  at  last  to  go  to  my  aunt  and  ask  her 
openly  to  tell  me  what  she  knew  of  my  progenitors.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  look  of  compassion  she  turned 
upon  me. 

"My  boy,"  she  said,  "do  you  think  I  would  keep  from 
you  any  secret  of  yours?  Do  you  think  I  would  not  tell 
you,  if  I  knew?" 

But  you  know  something,  surely,  that  will  help  me  to 
ravel  the  mystery,"  I  returned,  emboldened  by  her 

kind  tones. 

"'What  little  I  know  I  will 
tell  you  when  you  are 
older  and  more  able 
to  understand,"  she 
answered.      "It    is 
little    enough,    and 
would    do    you    no 
good  now." 


THE  SITE  OF    OLD  FORT  WAYNE, 
INDIANA,  TO-DAY 

194 


HISTORY,  AND   A   DISCLOSURE 


I  told  her  that  my  playmates  abused  and  scorned  me. 

"  There  is  but  one  protection  against  that,"  she  said. 
"  Whoever  your  father  and  mother  were,  be  sure  that  you 
may  safely  resent  any  hints  against  them  or  your  honor. 
It  is  impossible  that  you  are  other  than  the  child  of  good 
and  worthy  parents.  Remember  that  always.  I  lay  no 
prohibition  against  your  defending  your  honor  in  any  way 
open  to  a  gentleman." 

From  that  time  I  took  courage  to  maintain  myself  against 
my  tormentors.  Many  were  the  fights  I  fought  thereafter 
for  my  good  name,  until  at  last  fear  of  my  prowess  protected 
me  against  open  abuse.  To  this  more  than  to  any  natural 
aptitude  I  attribute  the  belligerent  disposition  I  developed, 
which  was  to  have  a  marked  influence  on  my  later  career. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  how  bitterly  we  missed 
Margaret,  or  what  a  wide 

she  left 

in  our 


THE  STATUE  OF  "  MAD 
ANTHONY"  WAYNE  AT 
NEWBURGH,  NEW  YORK 


196  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

little  home  circle.  But  I  will  tell  of  the  surprise,  disappoint 
ment,  and  grief  her  going  caused  another.  She  had  been 
away  something  more  than  a  year  when  Sylvester  Stevens 
paid  a  visit  to  Philadelphia.  He  had  just  returned  from 
a  campaign  against  the  Indians  led  by  General  uMad 
Anthony"  Wayne  in  1794.  It  was  the  same  "Mad  An 
thony"  whose  adventures  in  the  Revolutionary  War  are 
dear  to  the  hearts  of  every  American  youth.  His  reputation 
did  not  suffer  in  this  later  exploit;  for  he  defeated  the 
savages  at  the  battle  of  Fallen  Timber,  founded  the  present 
city  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  made  a  treaty  with  the 
Indians  by  which  the  United  States  acquired  a  large  addi 
tion  of  territory. 

What  Sylvester  had  in  his  heart  when  he  came  to  Phila 
delphia  we  could  only  conjecture.  He  received  the  knowl 
edge  of  Margaret's  marriage  and  departure  with  a  stoicism 
to  which  he  had  been  trained  by  the  hardships  and  sacrifices 
of  his  adventurous  life ;  but  we  could  see  how  heavily  it  bore 
upon  him.  He  did  not  remain  long  in  the  capital  before  he 
returned  to  the  frontier.  It  was  many,  many  years  before 
I  saw  him  again;  years  full  of  events  for  all  concerned. 

It  is  fitting  that  I  should  here  speak  of  the  tribulations 
through  which  our  nation  passed  in  these  early  years.  I 
cannot  look  back  upon  this  period  without  wonder  that  the 
United  States  continued  to  exist  as  such,  or  without  a  faith 
that  a  higher  hand  than  man's  guided  our  destinies.  It 
may  seem  strange  that  a  lad  of  ten  should  have  philosophized 
concerning  such  a  problem;  but  it  would  have  been  im 
possible  for  any  one  of  even  ordinary  faculties  to  grow  up 
beside  my  aunt  without  an  understanding  of  the  significance 
of  events,  and  an  interest  in  their  relation  to  the  history  of 
our  country. 

We  were  beset  on  all  hands  by  dangers.  England, 
resentful  still  of  our  liberty  and  independence,  oppressed  us. 


HISTORY,   AND  A  DISCLOSURE 


197 


She  refused  to  give  up  the  Western  posts,  maintaining  that 
we  had  not  fulfilled  our  part  of  the  treaty  of  Paris.  She  bul 
lied  us  at  sea  in  the  matter  of  trade,  and  insolently  en 
forced  upon  us  a  recognition  of  her  contention  that  she  had 
the  right  to  take  British  subjects  from  our  ships  whenever 
she  found  them.  Spain,  meanwhile,  acted  a  double  part 
along  our  southwestern  frontier,  inciting  the  Indians  against 
us  and  doing  what  damage  she  could  to  the  settlers  through 
tampering  with  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi. 

Indeed,  we  were  without  friends  in  the  whole  world. 
The  little  hope  we  had  that  France,  becoming  a  republic, 
would  league  with  us  was  dashed  when  the  extravagances 
following  the  French  Revolution  separated  her  from  us  by 
as  wide  a  chasm  as  lay  between  us  and  any  European  mon 
archy.  To  weaken  us  as  a  nation,  to  batter  down  our 
nationality,  was  the  underlying  purpose  of  European  policies 
as  they  affected  us.  That  we  survived  the  powerful  enmity 
of  the  whole  world  at  this  time  is,  as  I  have  said,  an 
evidence  of  a  divine  intention  that  the  principles  of  liberty 
were  to  survive  through  us. 


RUINS  OF  THE  NATHANAEL  GREENE  MANSION,  NEAR  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Nor  were  these  our  only  dangers.  At  home  there  were 
no  unified  interests  and  a  lack  of  patriotism  for  the  nation  as 
a  nation.  Our  people  had  not  overcome  the  first  local  pre 
judices  that  sprang  from  colonial  conditions;  personal  and 
immediate  interests  outweighed  considerations  of  broader 
moment.  This  was  shown  in  the  vicious  contention  be 
tween  the  representatives  of  the  two  great  parties  in  the 
nation,  which  found  expression  in  private  action  and  in 
the  public  press.  It  was  demonstrated  more  forcefully  in  the 
year  1794  by  an  open  revolt  in  western  Pennsylvania  against 
an  excise  placed  upon  the  manufacture  of  whiskey,  the  prin 
cipal  industry  of  the  mountain  regions  of  that  State;  in  fact, 
whiskey  was  the  money,  the  circulating  medium  of  the 
country.  Only  a  strong  display  of  force  on  the  part  of  the 
government  sufficed  to  put  down  the  revolt,  which  has  come 
down  in  history  as  the  Whiskey  Rebellion.  But  good  came 
of  this  episode,  for  it  brought  home  to  the  people  the  danger 
of  too  great  an  indulgence  in  local  prejudices. 

At  this  time  there  came  out  of  the  South  an  invention 
destined  to  add  still  another 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  ELI  WHITNEY,  WESTBORO',  MASSACHUSETTS:    THE  STONE 
IN  THE  FOREGROUND  MARKS  THE  SITE  OF  THE  OLD  HOUSE 


HISTORY,  AND  A  DISCLOSURE  199 

many  causes  of  misunderstanding  which  were  constantly 
springing  up  among  the  various  sections  of  the  country. 
It  was  as  if  seed  for  future  discord  were  being  sown  while 
the  young  nation  was  still  grappling  with  problems  demand- 
ing  immediate 
solution.  I  refer 
to  the  invention 
of  the  cotton  gin 
by  Eli  Whitney, 
a  Yale  graduate, 
in  1793.  Going 
to  Georgia  as  a 
teacher,  Whitney 
had  resided  on 
the  estate  of  the 
late  General  Na- 
thanael  Greene, 
under  the  gener 
ous  patronage  of 
whose  widow  he 
perfected  a  ma 
chine  to  separate 
the  cotton  from 
the  seed.  Whit 
ney  himself  was 

robbed    of    the    l  ELI  WHITNEY 

fruits  of  his  invention  by  lawless  people  who  broke  into  his 
workshop,  stole  his  machine,  and  had  others  made  before 
he  could  secure  his  patent.  But  his  invention  has  com 
pletely  changed  the  industrial  conditions  of  the  South. 
From  a  petty  yield  of  2,000,000  pounds  the  crop  has  grown 
until  it  has  become  the  ruling  industry  of  seven  States  and 
made  slave  labor  so  profitable  and  necessary  that  it  has 
fastened  slavery  on  the  South. 


2OO 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


The  reception  accorded  to  John  Jay's  treaty  with  Eng 
land  was  further  proof  of  the  intractable  character  of  our 
citizens  at  that  time.     Jay  had  been  sent  to  London  to 
arrange  with  the  British  for  more  equitable  rights  in  the 
matter  of^commerce,  and  to  adjust  certain  differences  that 
still   held   over   from   the   revolutionary 
period.     He  obtained  little  beyond  triv 
ial  concessions  in  the  matter  of  carrying 
privileges,  and  a  promise  on  the  part 
of  England  to  give  up  the  western 
posts    still    held    by   British    soldiers. 
The  right  of  search,  insisted  upon  by 
England,  was  not  touched 
upon.     I    believe    I 
have  never  witnessed 
a  more  emphatic  ex 
pression    of    popular 
feeling,  either  of  ap 
proval  or  disapproval, 
than  greeted  the  re 
sults    of    his    efforts. 
The    people   were    so 
incensed  against  England 
and  the  treaty  that  they  went 

FISHER  AMES     (From  the  portrait  by          beyond  all  bounds.       Jay  Was  ar- 

/.  Rogers)  raigned  before  the  bar  of  public 

opinion  and  charged  with  gross  treason.  "British  gold" 
was  a  term  bandied  from  mouth  to  mouth.  He  was  burned 
in  effigy  a  dozen  times.  Washington  himself,  who  did  not 
approve  the  treaty,  but  was  wise  emough  to  know  that  it 
was  the  best  obtainable,  and  better  than  none,  came  in  for 
a  large  share  of  the  abuse.  Indeed,  none  but  Washington 
could  have  made  the  treaty  prevail  against  the  universal 
clamor.  He  succeeded  in  having  it  ratified  by  the  senate; 


HISTORY,  AND  A  DISCLOSURE 


201 


merce. 
each. 


but  even  then  it  was  in  danger  of  being  lost,  for  the  house 
of  representatives,  though  possessed  under  the  Constitution 
of  no  direct  voice  in  the  making  of  treaties,  sought  to  destroy 
it  by  refusing  to  pass  a  bill  appropriating  money  for  carrying 
out  its  provisions.  It  was  Fisher  Ames  who  saved 
it  in  a  speech  which  I  heard.  The  effect  of  this  speech 
I  have  never  forgotten.  He  was  a  sick  man,  and 
spoke  against  the  orders  of  his  physician;  but  the 
heights  of  oratory  to  which  he  ascended  have  rarely 
been  equaled  in  our  deliberative  assemblages. 

At  the  same  time,  we  were  in  difficulties  with 
France,  due  largely  to  matters  of  corn- 
France  and  England  were  at  war,  and 
was  jealous  of  the  other's  commerce 
with  the  United  States.  English 
cruisers  seized  our  ships  under  orders 
in  council,  because  they  carried 
goods  to  France,  and  French  cruisers 
seized  our  vessels  when  they  were 
laden  with  goods  for  England. 
James  Monroe  was  in  Paris  en 
deavoring  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with 
the  French  when  news  reached 
Paris  of  Jay's  treaty.  Monroe  had 
been  well  received,  but  the  French 
resented  our  new  relations  with 
England,  wishing  rather  that  we  had  joined  them  in  a 
war  against  their  enemy.  Monroe  himself  was  still  wel 
come  among  them,  but  this  came  largely  from  personal 
feeling,  since  he  had  fallen  into  pleasant  relations  with  the 
revolutionary  forces. 

From  all  this  followed  a  chain  of  diplomatic  passages 
which  I  shall  not  narrate  in  detail,  they  being  available  in 
histories  of  the  time,  and,  to  my  notion,  somewhat  tedious. , 


THE  TOMB  or  GENERAL  NATHAN AEL 
GREENE,  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA 


202 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  negotiations  were  honeycombed 
with  the  double-dealing  of  Talleyrand,  the  minister,  whom, 
by  the  way,  I  saw  in  Philadelphia  when  he  was  there  as  an 
exile  from  his  own  country  during  one  of  the  upheavals 
which  followed  fast  after  the  revolution  had  broken  out. 
In  the  end  Talleyrand  endeavored  to  bully 
the  ambassadors  from  the  United  States 
into  giving  a  bribe  to  himself 
and  his  henchmen,  and  pay 
ing  tribute  to  France,  in 
return  for  which  our  com 
merce  was  to  be  treated 
more  favorably. 

The  correspondence 
concerning  these  overtures 
from  the  Frenchman  was 
sent  to  John  Adams,  who 
had  become  President  in 
1797.  Adams  caused  the 
correspondence  to  be  made 
known  to  the  people  by 
publishing  it,  but  he  sub 
stituted  the  initials  X  Y  Z  for 
the  names  of  the  principals  involved. 
The  result  was  a  wave  of  indignation  as  fierce  and  pop 
ular  as  that  friendly  furore  which  had  originally  acclaimed 
the  revolution  in  France.  The  whole  country  was  instantly 
for  war.  An  army  was  raised  under  Washington,  with 
Hamilton  as  his  lieutenant,  and  the  navy,  which  President 
Adams  had  consistently  fostered,  was  placed  on  a  war 
footing. 

The  publication  of  the  X  Y  Z  dispatches  restored  the 
Federalist  party  and  the  administration  to  a  power  in  the 
land  that  had  been  dwindling  under  the  course  of  events 


TALLEYRAND 


HISTORY,   AND   A  DISCLOSURE  203 

and  before  the  steady  attacks  made  by  the  Republican 
party  and  the  press.  In  fact,  that  party  was  stronger  than 
it  had  been  since  Jefferson  first  began  to  undermine  it. 
Power  proved  fatal  to  them;  for  in  their  arrogance  and 
pride  they  passed  two  laws  which  so  directly  assailed  the 
rights  of  the  people  that  its  sponsors  were  doomed. 

These  are  known  as  the  alien  and  sedition  laws.  The 
first  was  directed  against  foreigners,  and  gave  the  President 
power  to  deport  any  one  whom  he  considered  dangerous  to 
the  government.  Its  excuse  was  a  belief  that  emissaries  of 
France  were  working  in  the  midst  of  us  to  discredit  the 
administration  and  the  government.  The  second  was  an 
effort  to  muzzle  the  press,  which  had  grown  more  and  more 
vicious  and  virulent  in  its  attacks  on  the  Federalist  party. 
Republican  editors  had  made  themselves  insufferable  with 
their  calumnies  and  lies.  The  law,  itself  harsh,  was  harshly 
administered  by  Justice  Chase,  before  whom  several  delin 
quents  were  brought  to  trial.  I  myself,  lad  that  I  was,  felt 
an  indignation  beyond  any  effect  the  laws  might  have  upon 
me,  and  whereas  up  to  that  time  I  had  rather  favored  the 
principles  of  the  Federalist  party,  I  thenceforth  was  at  least 
reconciled  to  their  defeat,  if  I  did  not  actually  wish  for  it. 

The  laws  called  forth  much  protest.  Among  other  ex 
pressions  of  disapproval  were  resolutions  passed  by  Ken 
tucky  and  Virginia.  The  first,  delaring  that  the  States 
forming  the  Union  had  the  right  to  judge  of  the  constitu 
tionality  of  acts  passed  by  Congress,  pronounced  these  acts 
of  themselves  null  and  void  and  called  on  the  sister  States 
to  unite  in  suppressing  them.  The  resolutions  of  Virginia 
were  milder,  but  based  on  those  of  Kentucky.  It  is  be 
lieved  that  Jefferson  inspired  the  former,  and  Madison  the 
latter.  They  were  the  source  of  much  subsequent  mischief. 

Now  I  approach  an  event  in  my  own  life  of  great  magni 
tude,  being  the  first  step  in  the  unraveling  of  the  mystery 


204  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

that  surrounded  my  birth  and  parentage.  In  the  year  1798 
Philadelphia  was  again  visited  by  a  plague  of  fever  similar 
to  that  of  five  years  before,  though  not  so  virulent.  Again 
my  aunt  remained  in  the  city,  doing  what  she  could  to  alle 
viate  the  suffering.  But  this  time  her  sacrifice  demanded 
the  highest  penalty;  for  she  fell  sick,  and  we  soon  saw  that 
she  could  not  live. 

Against  our  protests,  Ruth  helped  me  in  caring  for  her, 
staying  constantly  by  her  side,  and  nursing  her  with  a  tender 
ness  the  memory  of  which  still  softens  my  heart  to  tears. 
It  was  not  until  her  own  mother  was  stricken  that  she  con 
sented  to  leave  us. 

The  evening  after  she  had  gone  I  was  seated  by  the  side 
of  my  aunt  in  the  last  extremity  of  distress.  In  all  the  world 
there  were  only  two  to  whom  I  was  bound  by  ties  of  affec 
tion.  One  of  these  lay  before  me  dying,  and  the  other  had 
just  left  to  solace  a  house  of  grief.  And  who  knew  that 
she,  too,  might  not  be  among  the  victims  of  this  terrible 
scourge  ? 

Sitting  with  my  head  in  my  hands,  a  prey  to  my  melan 
choly  reflections,  I  was  aroused  by  the  voice  of  my  aunt. 
She  spoke  more  firmly  than  she  had  done  of  late,  and  I 
looked  quickly  at  her,  inspired  with  a  wild  hope.  I  saw  at 
once  that  what  I  had  believed  to  be  a  mending  in  her  con 
dition  was  only  the  last  strong  flicker  of  life;  that  the  end 
was  coming  swiftly. 

" Richard,"  she  said,  "I  promised  that  before  I  went 
I  would  tell  you  what  I  knew  about  your  parentage.  The 
time  has  now  come  when  I  must  speak." 

"No,  no!"  I  cried,  falling  on  my  knees  at  the  side  of 
the  bed  and  folding  her  in  my  arms.  "Do  not  speak  so." 

"Nay,  lad,  't  is  true,  and  do  not  force  me  to  make  many 
words  over  it,  but  listen  to  the  story.  When  you  were  two 
years  old,"  she  went  on  at  once,  as  though  in  haste  to  be  done, 


HISTORY,   AND   A   DISCLOSURE  207 

"you  went  on  a  voyage;  I  presume  you  were  with  your 
father.  Of  that  I  cannot  be  certain.  The  ship  on  which 
you  were  sailing  was  attacked  by  corsairs  of  the  Barbary 
Coast,  and  captured.  When  the  pirates  were  looting  the 
vessel,  an  American  cruiser  came  up  and  drove  them  away. 
But  they  had  time  to  take  with  them  all  of  the  passengers 
and  crew  who  were  left  alive;  for  when  the  men  of  the 
cruiser  went  aboard  there  was  no  one  left  but  you.  They 
found  you  crying  in  a  cuddy,  where  you  had  been  hidden 
for  safety." 

"Yes;  that  much  I  remember,"  I  whispered. 

She  looked  at  me  in  some  surprise  that  I  should  recall 
an  incident  from  my  infancy.  "They  brought  you  with 
them  to  Philadelphia.  There  was  no  sign  about  you  by 
which  they  could  know  who  you  were.  I  heard  the  story 
from  an  officer  of  the  ship,  and  later  I  saw  you  at  his  mother's 
house.  When  I  saw  you  I  begged  that  I  might  take  you 
and  give  you  a  home." 

"Oh,  aunt,"  cried  I,  distracted,  "what  a  home  you  have 
given  me!  What  love  and  tender  care!"  I  could  go  no 
further,  but  bowed  my  head  again  in  my  hands.  When  I 
looked  at  her,  her  eyes  were  fixed  upon  me  in  a  flood  of 
affection. 

"I  begged  for  you  because  you  looked  like  a  man  whom 
I  once  loved,"  she  said  solemnly.  "I  liked  to  think  that 
you  were  his  child,  and  loved  you  from  the  first." 

"Who  was  this  man?     Tell  me  who  it  is,  aunt!" 

"Would  it  not  be  better  if  I  did  not  tell  you  that?"  she 
replied.  "I  am  not  certain.  Would  it  be  well  if  I  told  you, 
and  it  should  prove  that  I  were  wrong?" 

"Could  I  not  find  out  whether  you  were  right  before  I 
built  too  great  hopes?"  I  asked,  catching  her  meaning. 
"Could  I  not  write  to  the  man?" 

"Do  you  think  I  have  not  tried?"  she  returned.     "The 


.208 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


man  whom  I  believed  was  your  father  was  not  to  be  found, 

nor  any  trace  of  him." 

"But  tell  me,  that  I  may  search  for  him,"  I  pleaded. 
"You  may  search  for  him,  child,  as  it  is,  and  find  him, 

if  he  still  lives.     For  if  he  lives,  he  will  be  in  Algiers." 

I  shuddered  at  this,  for  I  well  knew  the  practice  of  those 

infamous  Moors  of  making  slaves  of  the  captives  they  took 

from  vessels  at  sea.     "But  how  shall  I  find  him?"  I  asked, 

stifling  a  moan.     "How  shall  I  know  it  is  he?" 

"By  this,"  she  said,  drawing  from  beneath  the  pillow 

a  locket  and  handing  it  to  me.     "This  was  about  your 

neck  when  you  were  found.     Your  father  will  know  you 

by  it." 

I  took  it  from  her  hands,  and  opened  it.     Within  was 

a  picture  of  a  babe;  myself,  I  made  no  doubt.     "Is  it  I?" 

I  asked  her. 

"He  will  know 
when  you  have  found 
him."  Her  eyes 
closed.  In  my  stress 
of  emotion  I  knew 
not  what  to  do,  but 
clung  with  one  hand 
to  her  arm,  clutching 
the  locket  in  the 
other.  "And  when 
you  find  him,"  she 
said,  reviving  for  a 
last  moment,  "tell 
him  that  I  cared  for 
you  and  loved  you 
for  his  sake,  and  for 
your  own,  and  that 
I  made  such  a  man 

ABIGAIL  ADAMS,  WIFE  OF  JOHN  ADAMS 


HISTORY,   AND   A  DISCLOSURE 


209 


of  you  as  I  would  have  made  of  my  own  son,  had  I  been 
so  blessed.  Tell  him  I  died  with  you  both  in  my  heart, 
happy  at  last  that  I  could  have  done  this  last  thing  for  you. 
Tell  him  this,  if  his  name  should  be  - 

It  was  too  late.     With  the          words  on  her  lips  life  de 
parted     from    her,    leaving 
derelict  at  the  very  outset  of 
voyage  of 
life. 


THE  OLD  HOUSE  or  WASHINGTON  GREENE,  THE  COLORED  BODY  SERVANT  OF 
GENERAL  GREENE,  ON  GREENE'S  ESTATE  NEAR  SAVANNAH 


CHAPTER  V 


TO    SEA   ON   A   QUEST 

IT  was  some  days  before  I  was  sufficiently  restored  to 
possession  of  my  faculties  to  make  any  plans  for  the 
future.     I  was  aroused  from  my  torpor  at  last  by  an  affliction, 
greater  than  my  own,  which  befell  Ruth.     By  that  time  the 
plague  had  become  so  virulent  that  the  entire  city,  officials 

and  citizens  alike, 
were  in  a  panic. 
Governor  Mifflin  is 
sued  emergency 
orders  for  the  extir 
pation  of  the  fever 
that  only  added  to 
its  victims,  by  fright 
ening  people  the 
more.  Streets  where 
cases  were  most 
numerous  were  bar 
ricaded;  yellow  flags 
were  hung  from  every 
house  where  a  patient 
lay;  and  soon  inspec 
tors  began  to  go 
through  the  city, 

THOMAS  MIFFLIN     (After  the  Stuart  portrait}         sending      every      One 

suspected  of  having  the  fever  to  the  Wigwam,  which  was 
turned  into  a  pest-house.  They  dragged  Ruth's  mother  to 
this  loathsome  place,  and  there  she  shortly  died. 

In  my  sweetheart's  grief,  my  own  was  forgotten;    but 

2IO 


TO   SEA   ON  A   QUEST 


211 


not  my  purpose  to  seek  my  father  over  the  face  of  the  earth, 
and  to  find  him,  if  God  spared  him  and  me  long  enough. 
I  spoke  of  my  secret,  and  my  intent' on,  to  Ruth  as  soon  as 
I  thought  she  had  mastered  her  sorrow  enough  to  think  of 
other  things.     Indeed,  I  told  her  of  my 
affairs  partly  with  the  intention  of 
diverting  her.     For  that  I  have 
never  ceased  to  reproach  my 
self.     The  prospect  of  losing 
me,  too,  was  more  than  she 
could  bear    at    that   time. 
Until   then,    although   we 
were  childish  lovers,  I  had 
never   comprehended    to 
what  degree  our  lives  had 
intertwined. 

She  was  brave,  as  she 
was  brave    in  all    things, 
and    upheld    me    in     my 
plans,     although     with    a 
poignant     pang     that    was 
more  bitter  to  me  than  my 
grief.     For  a  time   I   could 
hit  upon  no  way  of  further 
ing    my     search.       Nothing 

COUld    be   gained    by    moving     THE  OLD  MIFFLIN  MANSION,  PHILADELPHIA 

through  the  state  department,  HoME  OF  PE™SYLVANIA'S  FIRST  GOVERNOR 
for  our  government  was  impotent  in  dealing  with  the  Moors, 
to  whom  we  paid  enforced  tribute  for  the  protection  of  our 
commerce.  Furthermore,  not  knowing  the  name  of  the 
man  I  sought,  or  his  present  circumstances,  there  could  not 
have  been  much  point  to  any  application  I  might  make  for 
his  relief  through  the  government.  Nor  could  I,  a  mere 
stripling  of  a  boy,  expect  to  accomplish  anything  but  my 


2i2  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

own  destruction  by  going  to  Algiers,  even  if  it  had  been 
possible  for  me  to  get  there. 

In  this  dilemma  a  course  was  suggested  to  me  which, 
while  it  gave  little  immediate  promise,  at  least  held  out  some 
hope  to  a  lad's  sanguine  temperament.  At  this  time  our 
country  and  France  were  virtually  at  war  on  the  sea,  by 
reason  of  the  differences  that  had  sprung  up  between  them; 
our  navy  was  engaged  in  protecting  American  commerce 
from  French  privateers.  The  frigate  Constellation,  return 
ing  from  a  cruise  on  that  business,  in  the  West  Indies,  out 
fitted  in  Philadelphia  for  another  cruise.  To  my  mind 
there  was  the  chance  that  sooner  or  later  she  would  be  sent 
to  the  Mediterranean;  or,  if  she  were  not,  some  other  vessel 
of  the  navy,  to  which  I  might  obtain  a  transfer,  would  cer 
tainly  make  the  voyage.  With  this  slender  hope  before  me, 
I  enlisted  in  the  Constellation's  crew  as  powder  boy,  and  set 
sail  on  her  August  10,  1798,  being  then  fifteen  years  of  age. 

My  parting  from  Ruth  affected  us  both  deeply.  Little 
did  we  know  what  would  intervene  before  we  were  to  see 
each  other  again!  But  if  I  had  known,  and  had  also  fore 
seen  what  other  consequences  were  to  follow  from  what  I 
did,  I  believe  I  should  not  have  altered  my  course.  For 
the  first  time  in  our  lives  we  spoke  of  our  love  for  each  other 
at  parting,  and  made  many  brave  promises.  And  so,  with 
her  kiss  upon  my  lips,  I  went  out  to  search  for  the  heart  of 
my  mystery  through  that  greater  mystery,  the  world. 

Somewhere  in  my  ancestry  there  must  have  been  a  strain 
of  sea  blood;  for  I  was  a  born  sailor,  loving  the  sea  and  at 
home  on  it,  though  I  had  never  embarked  but  the  one  time 
when  I  was  an  infant.  We  sailed  in  company  with  the 
Baltimore,  laying  a  course  for  the  West  Indies.  The  salt 
air  and  the  swing  of  the  sea  cured  my  aching  heart  of  its 
more  poignant  pangs,  and  I  was  happier  than  I  ever  believed 
I  should  be.  I  endeavored  at  all  times  to  be  brave  and 


TO   SEA   ON  A   QUEST 


213 


faithful,  obedient  to  my  superiors  and  friendly  with  the 
crew.  In  this  way  I  soon  found  myself  in  as  much  favor  as 
a  powder  monkey  could  expect  to  gain  on  board  a  frigate, 
where  the  discipline  was  severely  strict  and  a  man,  not  to 
mention  a  boy,  was  nothing  more  than  an  animated  part  of 
a  highly  organized  machine. 


THE   "CONSTELLATION"    CAPTURING    THE    FRENCH    FRIGATE 
(From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff) 


INSURGENTS 


Our  work,  as  I  have  said,  was  to  protect  American  ship 
ping  in  the  West  Indies.  For  a  space  my  life  was  without 
adventure  worthy  of  narration  here,  we  merely  falling  in 
with  and  taking  some  French  privateers,  many  of  them  with 
out  the  exchange  of  a  single  shot.  But  I  was  soon  to  see 
an  action  of  consequence.  I  have  been  through  many  since, 
in  comparison  with  which  this  first  was  insignificant,  but 
the  sensations  accompanying  my  initiation  into  naval  war 
fare  were  never  afterward  equaled. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  February,  1799;  the  ninth  day, 
I  believe.  We  were  bowling  along  near  Saint  Kitts,  under 
a  spread  of  canvas  before  a  spanking  breeze,  which  kept 


2i4  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

our  captain's  weather  eye  aloft  and  alow;  for  there  was 
prospect  that  it  would  blow  up  a  gale.  I  was  standing  near 
the  forecastle,  watching  the  green  seas  breaking  all  about 
us,  when  there  was  a  cry  of  "Sail,  ho!" 

Used  as  I  was  by  this  time  to  the  call,  there  was  something 
about  the  tone  in  which  it  was  given,  or  some  subtle  sugges 
tion  between  the  coming  event  and  my  mind,  which  sent  me 
all  a-quiver  to  the  forecastle  to  have  a  look  for  myself. 

There  on  our  bow,  well  away,  holding  a  course  not 
greatly  variant  from  ours,  was  a  craft  of  about  our  size, 
which,  by  her  rig  and  build,  could  be  nothing  else  but  a 
vessel  of  war.  Whether  she  was  French  or  English  or 
American  could  not  be  determined  at  that  distance.  Cap 
tain  Truxtun  put  at  once  the  frigate  before  the  wind  so  as 
to  cross  the  stranger's  bows ;  and  as  we  swung  into  a  new 
stride,  my  heart  came  into  my  throat  with  excitement,  and 
I  leaned  against  a  gun  to  watch  the  chase. 

In  the  midst  of  it,  a  squall  struck  us,  causing  us  to 
shorten  sail.  When  it  passed,  we  found  that  the  stranger 
had  lost  her  maintopmast,  not  being  so  quick  to  make  all 
snug  as  we  were.  As  we  drew  closer,  she  hoisted  an  Amer 
ican  flag,  to  which  our  captain  replied  in  kind,  adding  to  it 
the  private  signal  of  the  day,  known  only  to  American  and 
British  captains.  To  this  the  other  did  not  respond,  making 
it  certain  that  we  had  fallen  in  with  an  enemy.  In  this  be 
lief  we  were  presently  confirmed  by  her  hoisting  a  French 
flag,  and  firing  a  gun  to  leeward. 

Our  ship  being  the  better  sailor,  we  rapidly  overhauled 
the  other,  coming  up  to  her  port  quarter.  I  had  long  ago 
left  my  place  on  the  forecastle,  the  men  having  been  called 
to  quarters,  and  was  at  my  station.  It  was  my  duty  to 
carry  the  powder  from  the  magazine  below  to  the  guns  of 
the  forward  battery.  The  powder  was  in  cartridges, —  long 
cylinders  of  paper,  or  sometimes  cloth,  of  the  caliber  of  the 


TO   SEA    ON  A   QUEST  217 

guns,  so  that  it  could  be  easily  handled  and  thrust  into  the 
muzzles. 

As  soon  as  the  call  to  quarters  sounded,  I  brought  up  all 
the  powder  it  was  safe  to  store  on  deck,  and  waited  near  the 
guns  for  the  beginning  of  the  fight,  which  I  knew  would  not 
be  far  off.  As  I  waited,  the  quartermaster  went  about 
placing  buckets  of  sand  here  and  there,  to  be  scattered  on 
the  decks  for  the  purpose  of  making  them  less  slippery  when 
the  blood  began  to  flow.  I  had  seen  him  do  it  before, 
but  this  time,  as  he  went  plodding  fore  and  aft,  cool,  un 
concerned,  indifferent,  the  gruesome  suggestive  ness  of  his 
actions  struck  at  my  heart,  and  I  fell  a  prey  to  melancholy 
reflections,  wondering  if  I  should  be  one  of  those  whose 
blood  would  make  the  sand  necessary,  and  thinking  what 
Ruth  and  my  father  would  do  if  I  should  be  struck  down; 
for  I  had  already  come  to  look  upon  myself  as  the  savior  of 
the  unknown  whom  I  sought. 

From  this  I  was  suddenly  recalled  by  the  mighty  roar 
of  our  broadside,  which  deafened  me,  and  shook  the  ship 
so  that  I  was  lurched  to  my  knees.  I  was  struggling  to  my 
feet,  choked  by  the  stifling  smoke  of  burnt  powder  and  dizzy 
with  the  terrific  detonation,  when  the  lieutenant  in  com 
mand  of  the  forward  battery,  who  had  always  treated  me 
with  consideration,  struck  me  with  his  toe  and  vented  upon 
me  a  volley  of  curses  the  like  of  which  I  had  never  before 
heard,  even  at  sea.  "Come,  you  several  kinds  of  a  driveling 
coward  of  a  powder  monkey,"  he  shouted,  "what  are  you 
doing  on  your  prayer  bones?  Get  up  and  fetch  powder, 
you  cursed  whelp,  or  I  '11  give  you  something  to  pray  for, 
by  God!"  I  thought  nothing  of  it  at  the  time,  but  ran  to 
bring  more  powder.  I  mention  it  here  to  show  what 
changes  the  lust  of  fighting  will  make  in  the  breast  of  a  man 
at  other  times  humane.  I  make  no  doubt  I  have  been 
guilty  of  similar  exhibitions  of  savagery  myself. 


2l8 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


When  I  returned  to  deck  with  powder  we  were  in  the 
midst  of  another  broadside,  with  the  enemy  responding. 
The  din  was  deafening;  the  roar  of  guns,  the  crashing  of 
shot  about  us,  the  whine  of  them  through  the  air,  the  cries 
of  our  men;  but  above  all  was  a  noise  that  rings  horridly 
in  my  ears  to  the  present  day — the  sound  of  shrieking  an 
guish  on  board  the  enemy.  Strangely  enough,  at  the  time 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  A  FRIGATE  BY  THE  "  EXPERIMENT  : 

Captain  Hoff) 


(From  the  drawing  by 


I  exulted  in  it,  and  cried  out  that  we  were  giving  it  to  them 
good,  adding,  I  fear,  an  oath. 

It  did  not  last  long.  Twice  we  passed  the  Frenchman's 
bow,  and  raked.  A  third  time  we  fell  astern,  and  were 
ready  to  rake,  when  she  struck.  The  vessel  was  the  In- 
surgente,  of  thirty-six  guns,  Captain  Barreaut.  She  was 
terribly  cut  to  pieces  alow  and  aloft,  and  her  decks  were 
covered  with  dead  and  dying.  On  our  part  the  loss  .was 
trifling,  we  having  only  two  killed  and  three  wounded. 

It  was  a  year  before  we  had  another  action  of  equal 
proportions.  In  the  meanwhile  we  had  cruised  out  of 
Saint  Kitts,  taking  prizes  and  protecting  Yankee  merchant 
men.  Early  on  the  morning  of  February  2,  1800,  while 


TO   SEA   ON  A   QUEST  219 

cruising  fifteen  miles  west  of  Basse  Terre,  we  gave  chase  to 
a  sail  that  appeared  to  the  south,  standing  to  the  west, 
which  proved  to  be  a  heavy  French  frigate.  Orders  were  at 
once  given  to  sling  the  yards  in  chains,  and  clear  for  action. 

The  chase  lasted  for  twenty- four  hours  in  a  light  wind. 
About  noon  on  the  following  day  the  wind  freshened,  and 
we  began  to  overhaul  the  enemy.  The  men  being  called  to 
quarters,  Captain  Truxtun  went  up  and  down  the  divisions, 
cautioning  the  gunners  not  to  fire  until  the  order  was  given, 
and  to  aim  at  the  enemy's  hull.  We  were  also  ordered  to 
load  as  fast  as  we  could,  but  not  to  fire  unless  we  were  certain 
of  making  a  hit;  for  Captain  Truxtun  wanted  no  powder 
or  shot  wasted. 

Coming  closer,  the  enemy  opened  fire  with  her  stern 
chasers.  Their  shot  went  through  our  rigging  and  a  few  of 
the  balls  crashed  upon  the  decks,  making  our  men  impatient 
to  return  the  fire.  But  our  captain  sent  his  officers  forward 
again  to  restrain  the  men,  and  we  endured  the  fire  for  some 
time  without  answering.  At  last,  when  we  had  reached  a 
position  off  her  port  quarter,  the  order  was  given,  and  the 
entire  starboard  broadside  of  our  ship  leapt  into  flames. 
There  was  a  terrific  roar,  and  the  craft  shook  from  truck 
to  keelson  beneath  the  recoil.  The  scene  was  weird  and 
picturesque,  for  by  this  time  night  had  come  on,  and  we 
fought  by  the  light  of  the  battle  lanterns. 

From  the  shrieks  that  came  from  the  enemy,  we  judged 
that  we  had  hit  her  hard.  Encouraged  by  this,  our  men 
worked  their  guns  with  a  ferocity  that  soon  turned  some  of 
the  pieces  so  hot  that  we  had  to  dash  buckets  of  water  on 
them  before  the  charges  could  be  placed  in  the  muzzles. 
The  Frenchman  seemed  desirous  of  getting  away,  for  most 
of  his  shots  were  directed  against  our  rigging,  which  was 
soon  so  cut  to  pieces  that  we  were  obliged  to  lie  to  for  repairs. 
But  not  until  the  enemy's  fire  had  slackened  and  stopped. 


22O 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Overhauling  them  again  after  midnight,  we  renewed 
our  onslaught  with  the  same  results;  we  damaging  them 
heavily  in  the  hull,  and  they  so  crippling  us  aloft  that  we 
had  to  stop  again  for  repairs.  This  time  it  was  found  that 
all  the  mainstays  and  shrouds  had  been  cut,  leaving  the 


THE  OLD  TOMB  OF  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON 

mainmast  unsupported.  Before  the  mast  could  be  stayed 
it  went  by  the  board,  carrying  with  it  Midshipman  James 
C.  Jarvis  and  the  topmen,  Jarvis  having  refused  to  desert 
his  post,  although  apprised  of  the  danger.  It  seemed  to 
me  a  foolhardy  sacrifice;  but  I  presume  that  there  was  not 
a  man  aboard  that  would  not  have  done  the  same  in  like 
circumstances,  so  quick  was  the  sense  of  honor  among  the 
American  seamen. 


TO  SEA  ON  A   QUEST 


221 


By  morning  the  enemy  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  having 
made  good  her  opportunity  to  escape.  We  learned  after 
ward  that  our  antagonist  was  the  Vengeance,  of  fifty-two 
guns,  and  that  we  had  killed  fifty  and  wounded  no  of  her 
crew.  Our  handling  of  her  that  night  so  impressed  her 


THE  RESTING-PLACE  OF  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON 

commander,  Captain  Pitot,  that  he  reported  he  had  fallen 
in  with  an  American  frigate  of  sixty  guns. 

There  was  but  one  other  frigate  action  in  the  short  war 
with  France.  On  October  12  of  the  same  year  the  frigate 
Boston,  thirty-six  guns,  Captain  George  Little,  fell  in  with 
and  captured  the  French  corvette  Berceau,  of  twenty-four 
guns.  It  was  not  equal  to  other  fights  I  had  seen, 
nevertheless  it  demonstrated  that  our  vessels  had  a  superi- 


222 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


ority  over  the  French  that  was  greater  than  the  difference 
in  armament;  this  was  due  to  the  superior  courage  and  in 
telligence  of  officers  and  men.  Among  other  vessels  that 
acquired  a  well-earned  fame  in  the  war  were  the  Enterprise 
and  Experiment,  schooners  of  twelve  guns  each,  which  cap- 

tured  many 
prizes  among 
privateers  and 
small  war  vessels . 
I  should  not 
omit  to  mention 
the  sloop  Sally, 
which  went  into 
the  harbor  of 
Puerto  Plata, 
under  command 
of  First  Lieuten 
ant  Isaac  Hull, 
and  cut  out  the 
French  letter  of 
marque  Sand 
wich  from  be 
neath  the  guns  of 
a  battery,  which 
were  spiked  by 


MARTHA  WASHINGTON    (After  the  Stuart  portrait} 

a  party  from  the  American  vessel. 

By  the  time  the  prow  of  the  Constellation  was  turned 
homeward  I  had  been  at  sea  nearly  two  years,  not  without 
advantage  to  myself.  During  that  time  I  had  matured  in 
years  and  experience,  so  that  I  was  no  longer  powder 
monkey,  but  commander  of  a  gun  in  the  forward  port  bat 
tery.  I  was  wedded  to  the  life,  and  would  have  chosen  it 
for  my  own  even  if  it  had  not  offered  me  promise  of  success 
in  the  one  great  purpose  that  swayed  me. 


TO   SEA   ON  A   QUEST 


223 


When  we  arrived  at  Philadelphia  I  was  brought  face 
to  face  with  a  bitter  disappointment,  and  a  great  sorrow. 
As  you  may  imagine,  Ruth  had  in  no  wise  departed  from 
my  thoughts  in  the  stirring  time  I  had  been  away.  I  had 
sent  letters  to  her,  and  received  _^- — — _  some 
replies;  and  during  the  entire 
homeward  voyage  I  looked 
forward  with  a  single  mind 
to  seeing  her  again.  But 
when  I  came  to  Philadel 
phia  she  was  not  there. 

I  cannot  say  even 
now  which  was  the 
greater,  my  disap 
pointment  in  not  find 
ing  Ruth,  or  my 
sorrow  in  realizing  that 
during  my  absence 
.death  had  called  to  his 
reward  the  Father  of  Our 
Country.  The  knowledge 
that  the  young  republic  was 
forever  deprived  of  his  guiding 
hand  was  in  every  sense  a  feel 
ing  of  personal  loss  to  me.  I 
am  not  one  to  revere  him  as 
the  most  saintly  of  his  race, 
frailties  and  honor  him  as  the  deliverer  of  our  country, 
and  to  this  day  I  am  stirred  with  resentment  when  I  con 
sider  the  ingratitude  shown  him  by  many  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen.  How  this  man,  who  would  rather  have 
been  on  his  farm  than  be  emperor  of  the  world,  could 
have  been  charged  with  wanting  to  be  a  king  is  beyond  me. 
The  virulence  of  the  time  cannot  be  pleaded  as  an  excuse 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON    (After  the 
Stuart  portrait) 

I  love  him  for  his  human 


224  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

for  the  personal  abuse  heaped  upon  him.  No  man  ever 
served  his  country  with  purer  and  more  unselfish  motives; 
and  yet  such  slanders  had  been  daily  heaped  upon  him  that 
he  was  driven  to  such  desperation  as  to  say,  "I  had  rather 
be  in  my  grave  than  in  my  present  situation." 

I  was  not  long  in  learning  that  Ruth  had  gone  into 
Virginia  for  a  visit  with  kinsfolk,  and  that  she  would  not 
return  for  two  or  three  months.  I  was  making  my  arrange 
ments  to  follow,  when  my  immediate  plans  were  broken  by 
an  opportunity  to  pursue  my  quest  in  the  very  way  for  which 
I  had  so  long  hoped  and  prayed.  The  frigate  George 
Washington,  Captain  William  Bainbridge,  of  forty-four 
guns,  was  making  ready  to  sail  for  Algiers  with  tribute  for 
the  Bey,  and  I  found  that  I  could  be  taken  along  as  gunner. 

Thinking  only  of  what  might  be  before  me  on  such  a 
voyage,  I  enlisted  without  a  second  thought,  writing  a  letter 
to  Ruth  to  tell  her  of  my  great  good  fortune,  and  to  bid  her 
farewell  for  the  time.  In  the  month  of  May  I  sailed  into 
the  east,  toward  the  land  where  lay  the  mystery  of  my  life) 
and  one  of  the  great  hopes  of  my  future.  If  I  had  known 
for  how  many  years  my  search  was  to  extend  I  should  not 
have  felt  the  radiant  joy  that  buoyed  me  up  as  we  sailed 
through  the  Capes  of  the  Delaware;  but  I  did  not  know 
and  I  was  happy,  for  all  that  I  had  left  Ruth  behind. 


CHAPTER  VI 
IN   THE   BARBARY   STATES 

THE  Barbary  States,  on  the  north  coast  of  Africa,  were 
then  pirate  states.  The  corsairs  who  sailed  from 
them  to  loot  vessels  on  the  high  seas  were  encouraged  and 
protected  by  their  several  governments. 
In  Tripoli,  at  least,  piracy  was  a  recog 
nized  part  of  the  national  policy. 
All  carrying  countries  were  their 
prey,  whose  only  safety  lay  in 
paying  tribute  to  their  rulers. 
This  condition  of  affairs  was 
largely  encouraged  by  England, 
whose  statesmen  considered -it 
wise  to  permit  corsairs  to  rob 
on  the  high  seas  that  the  mari 
time  strength  of  the  nations  with 
which  she  was  in  competition 
might  be  weakened.  Concerning 
the  morality  of  England  in  this 
matter,  I  will  say  nothing,  con 
tenting  myself  to  present  the  facts. 
The  United  States,  although  pros 
pering  among  nations,  had  not  yet  WILLIAM  BAINBRIDGE 
rr  .  ,  .,  (From  the  painting 

grown  sufficiently  strong  to  strike  into  by  j.  w.  Jaruis) 

that  nest  of  vipers,  but  was  obliged  on  the  contrary  to  con 
tribute  to  the  barbarians.  The  shame  of  it  wore  hard  on  the 
sailors  and  officers  of  the  ships  that  bore  tribute ;  they  were 
eager  to  make  a  stand  for  honor  and  honesty,  but  the  time 
was  not  yet. 

225 


226  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

I  was  not  the  only  man  aboard  the  George  Washington 
to  whom  the  practices  of  the  corsairs  had  come  close  home. 
There  were  several  in  our  crew  who  had  been  captives 
among  the  Barbary  pirates,  or  who  had  friends  or  kin 
at  that  time  in  such  melancholy  state.  I  heard  many  tales 
about  the  decks  of  the  frigate  that  set  my  blood  boiling,  but 
I  held  my  peace  concerning  my  own  interest  in  the  matter, 
confiding  only  in  Captain  Bainbridge,  who  I  hoped  might 
be  of  service  in  assisting  me  in  my  search.  Although  he 
listened  to  my  story  with  sympathetic  interest,  he  could  give 
me  little  encouragement,  especially  since  I  did  not  know 
the  name  of  the  man  I  sought,  nor  the  circumstances  of  his 
captivity.  Indeed,  he  made  my  quest  seem  more  hopeless 
than  ever. 

Nevertheless,  I  continued  to  hope,  and  it  was  with  a 
throbbing  heart  that  I  at  last  saw,  from  the  decks  of  the 
ship,  the  towers  and  minarets  of  Algiers.  This  was  in 
September,  1800.  Anchoring  under  the  guns  of  the  battery, 
we  transferred  the  tribute  to  Mr.  O'Brien,  our  consul  at 
Algiers,  to  whom  Captain  Bainbridge  told  my  story,  re 
questing  him  to  ascertain,  if  he  could,  whether  any  Ameri 
can  now  a  prisoner  in  that  country  might  be  the  one  whom 
I  wished  to  find. 

What  steps  he  took  I  cannot  say,  for  other  matters  came 
forward  to  crowd  the  private  griefs  of  a  common  sailor  from 
his  attention.  I  doubt  if  he  regarded  the  matter  seriously, 
having  heard  many  such  tales  and  having  experiences  of 
the  Dey  which  were  of  a  nature  to  make  any  attempts  to 
rescue  my  father  seem  futile  and  indiscreet. 

The  events  of  which  I  speak  arose  from  the  state  of 
affairs  then  existing  between  the  Dey  and  the  Grand  Porte 
at  Constantinople.  Algiers,  like  the  other  Barbary  States, 
was  a  conquered  province  and  under  tribute  to  the  Porte,  and 
the  Dey  had  lately  offended  his  master  by  making  a  treaty 


IN  THE   BARBARY   STATES 


227 


of  peace  with  France,  at  a  time  when  Turkey  and  England 
were  at  war  with  Napoleon  in  Egypt.  Anxious  to  appease 
the  wrath  of  the  Turk,  the  Dey  demanded  of  Bainbridge 
that  he  go  with  the  George  Washington  to  Constantinople 
to  carry  presents  from  him  to  the  Sultan, —  an  errand  which 
Captain  Bainbridge  at  first  indignantly  refused  to  undertake, 
but  which  was  forced  upon  him  at  last  by  the  circumstance 
that  our  vessel  lay  under  the  guns  of  the  battery  and  was 
threatened  with  destruction  if  the  commander  did  not 
comply  with  the  Dey's  request. 

In  this  way  it  fell  out  that  my  private  affairs  were  oblit 
erated  by  more  weighty  ones,  and  we  set  sail  for  Constanti 
nople  before  much  at  best  could  have  been  done.  You  may 
imagine  my  bitter  disappointment,  though  I  had  already 
fallen  into  an  attitude  of  mind  toward  my  quest  that  took 
much  of  the  bitterness  out  of  the  present  miscarriage  of  my 
plans. 

We  were  well  received  in  the  oriental  capital,  although 
the  Grand  Porte  was  in  a  towering  rage  with  the  man  who 
sent  us,  and  returned  a  message  that  he  must  at  once  pro 
claim  war  against  France  or  suffer  punishment.  This  visit 
to  Constantinople  was  one  of  the  events  of  my  life. 


When  we   re- 
sought  to  wreak  his 
bringing 
message 


turned   to   Algiers  f^  the  Dey 

us    for 

such  a 

from 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  STEPHEN  DECATUR  THE  YOUNGER,  AT  BERLIN,  MARYLAND 


228 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


the  Sultan,  but  Captain  Bainbridgc  having  anchored  this 
time  out  of  range  of  the  batteries,  his  resentment  was  vain. 
He  succeeded  in  enticing  our  captain  ashore  with  many 
promises,  and  it  would  undoubtedly  have  gone  hard  with 

him  had  he 
not  been  pre 
sented  by  the 
Sultan  at 
Constanti 
nople  with  a 
nrmin  which 
he  now  dis 
played,  bring 
ing  the  Dey 
to  a  friendly 
frame  of 
mind  with  an 
alacrity  that 
had  in  it 
something  of 
the  comical. 

Early  in  the 
year  we  set 
sail  for  Amer- 

STEPHEN  DECATUR  THE  YOUNGER      (After  the  Sully  portrait)     ICa,      arriving 

when  the  summer  was  new.  I  found  that  a  squadron  had 
lately  been  dispatched  for  the  Mediterranean,  in  the  expecta 
tion  that  there  would  be  trouble,  and  that  the  Essex  would 
shortly  follow  under  command  of  our  present  captain. 
Hearing  this,  although  I  had  so  recently  come  from  the 
scene  without  accomplishing  the  least  success  in  my  pur 
pose,  I  was  revived  in  hope,  and  forthwith  enlisted  in  that 
frigate  of  war. 

So  great  was  my  haste  to  make  sure  of  being  taken  back 


IN  THE   BARBARY  STATES  229 

that  I  attended  to  my  enlistment  before  I  made  an  effort  to 
find  Ruth.  That  was  one  of  the  most  unhappy  errors  of 
my  life;  for  there  had  lately  been  so  much  desertion  from 
the  vessel  that  a  rule  was  in  effect,  which  I  did  not  know  at 
the  time,  prohibiting  shore  leave  for  the  crew.  We  sailed 
in  a  few  days,  without  my  having  opportunity  to  do  more 
than  send  my  sweetheart  a  message,  telling  her  what  I  had 
done. 

We  had  on  board  as  first  lieutenant  Stephen  Decatur 
the  younger,  a  man  with  whom  I  had  sailed  before,  and  whom 
I  had  greatly  admired  because  of  his  undaunted  courage 
and  coolness  in  every  emergency.  I  may  take  this  occasion 
to  say  that  I  do  not  believe  there  was  ever  in  the  history  of 
all  time  a  company  of  young  men  more  brave,  resourceful, 
and  capable  in  the  duties  of  marine  warfare  than  the  officers 
of  our  infant  navy.  There  was  not  one  of  those  who  sailed 
to  the  Mediterranean  in  those  years,  or  in  the  later  years  of 
our  war  with  England,  who  was  found  wanting  when  the 
time  came  for  his  trial.  Their  deeds  of  daring  and  adven 
ture  must  always  light  the  heart  of  an  American  with  just 
pride. 

Being  a  gunner's  mate  in  the  first  division,  I  was  for 
tunate  enough  to  attract  the  attention  of  this  young  lieutenant 
by  the  order  and  discipline  that  my  experience  enabled  me 
to  establish  in  my  gun's  crew,  so  that  we  came  to  as  close 
a  friendship  as  the  etiquette  of  the  navy  permitted. 

To  show  the  quality  of  the  man,  I  must  narrate  an  inci 
dent  that  befell  us  in  Barcelona,  where  we  landed  in  August. 
It  illustrates  those  qualities  that  endeared  him  to  all  who 
ever  served  with  him.  While  the  Spanish  officers  of  the 
town  received  us  with  much  friendliness,  there  was  in  the 
harbor  a  Spanish  xebec  whose  captain  assumed  quite  a 
different  attitude.  One  night,  as  Captain  Bainbridge  was 
returning  from  shore,  this  captain,  in  a  most  offensive  man- 


230  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

ner,  ordered  the  gig  to  come  alongside,  and,  when  our 
captain  refused,  fired  several  musket  shots  at  him.  On 
the  following  evening  Lieutenant  Decatur,  with  whom  I 
happened  to  be  at  the  time,  had  a  like  experience. 

In  the  morning  Decatur  went  aboard  the  xebec,  and 
inquired  for  the  officer  who  had  been  guilty  of  the  insult. 
He  was  informed  that  the  officer  was  not  aboard.  "Then 
tell  him  that  Lieutenant  Decatur,  of  the  frigate  Essex, 
pronounces  him  a  cowardly  scoundrel,  and  that  when  they 
meet  on  shore  he  will  cut  his  ears  off."  The  captain- 
general  of  the  town  was  much  disturbed  when  he  heard  of 
the  challenge,  for  the  officer  of  the  xebec  was  a  man  of 
influential  connections;  but  in  the  end  the  fellow  was 
severely  reprimanded  and  made  ample  apology.  There 
after  the  officers  of  the  Essex  were  treated  with  especial 
courtesy. 

Little  of  importance  occurred  during  the  summer,  and 
I  seemed  as  far  from  my  goal  as  ever.  The  Dey  of  Algiers 
was  brought  to  terms  by  the  frigate  President,  and  the 
Enterprise,  Captain  Sterett,  with  whom  I  had  sailed  in  the 
Constellation,  inflicted  a  blow  on  Tripoli  by  capturing  a 
polacre  of  fourteen  guns ;  but  the  Essex  did  little  more  than 
cruise  up  and  down,  making  a  display  for  moral  effect  - 
if  one  can  so  characterize  any  effect  made  upon  so  wholly 
immoral  a  people.  In  the  fall  the  President  and  the  Enter 
prise  sailed  for  the  United  States,  leaving  the  Essex  and  the 
Philadelphia  on  the  station. 

Captain  Richard  Valentine  Morris  came  out  the  next 
spring  in  charge  of  a  squadron  which  comprised  eventually 
the  Chesapeake,  thirty-six  guns,  Lieutenant  Isaac  Chauncey; 
the  Constellation,  thirty-six  guns,  Captain  Alexander  Mur 
ray;  the  New  York,  thirty-six  guns,  Captain  James  Barren, 
two  corvettes,  commanded  by  Captains  Hugh  George 
Campbell  and  John  Rodgers,  respectively;  and  the 


IN  THE   BARBARY   STATES  231 

schooner  Enterprise,  twelve  guns,  Master-Commandant 
Andrew  Sterett.  My  term  of  enlistment  on  the  Essex 
soon  expiring,  I  reenlisted  on  the  Enterprise,  choosing  that 
vessel  because  its  lighter  draught  made  it  more  useful  in 
the  work  we  had  on  hand,  it  being  the  only  vessel  in  the 
fleet  that  could  run  in  close  to  shore;  from  which  I  argued 


THE  HARBOR  OF  TRIPOLI 

that  my  chance  to  pursue  my  search  would  be  better  on  her 
than  on  another.  Of  this  I  was  heartily  glad  later,  for  in 
December  Lieutenant  Stephen  Decatur  was  placed  in  com 
mand  of  her,  succeeding  Lieutenant  Isaac  Hull,  who  fol 
lowed  Master-Commandant  Sterett. 

Captain  Morris  was  retired  from  command  of  the  fleet 
by  Congress  in  September,  the  reason  assigned  being  that 
he  was  not  qualified  to  carry  on  the  conduct  of  the  war;  but 
for  my  part  I  have  always  thought  there  was  some  manner 
of  politics  behind  his  removal.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Captain  Edward  Preble,  who  was  disliked  and  suspected 


232 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


at  first.  He  was  from  New  Hampshire,  while  most  of  the 
officers  were  from  the  Middle  and  Southern  States.  He 
was  a  man  of  high  temper  and  strict  discipline,  from  which 
circumstances  he  got  the  soubriquet  of  "Old  Pepper." 
But  the  men  soon  found  that  they  had  made  a  mistake  in 
judging  him,  and  he  became  deservedly  popular. 

On  October  29  the  Philadelphia,  Captain  William  Bain- 
bridge,  following  a  chase  too  close  inshore  near  the  harbor 


THE  Loss  OF  THE  "  PHILADELPHIA  "     (From  an  etching  by  J.  F.  Sabin,  made 
after  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff) 

of  Tripoli,  where  she  had  been  left  to  blockade  the  port, 
ran  on  a  reef  and  was  captured  by  the  enemy.  Captain 
Bainbridge,  his  officers  and  crew,  were  taken  captive,  the 
officers  being  confined  in  the  Bashaw's  castle,  while  the  men 
were  set  to  work  on  the  ships  and  fortifications  of  the  Tri 
poli  tans.  Among  the  officers  were  many  who  later  achieved 
fame  in  our  war  with  England, — -Lieutenant  David  Porter, 
whose  career  in  the  Essex  in  Pacific  waters  continues  to  be 
a  marvel  among  naval  men;  Jacob  Jones,  afterward  captain 
of  the  Frolic  in  her  fight  with  the  Wasp;  James  Biddle, 
commander  of  the  Hornet  in  her  fight  with  the  Penguin: 
and  Daniel  Tod  Patterson,  who  commanded  the  naval 


IN  THE   BARBARY  STATES  233 

force  in  the  fight  before  New  Orleans.  The  unlucky 
frigate  was  subsequently  floated  by  the  Tripolitans  and 
brought  into  the  harbor,  where  she  was  anchored,  forming 
a  strong  reinforcement  to  the  defenses  of  the  place. 

The  loss  of  the  frigate  and  her  officers  and  men  was  a 
serious  blow  to  the  fleet,  both  morally  and  physically.  Many 
plans  were  made  to  rescue  the  prisoners,  who  managed  to 
communicate  with  Captain  Preble,  and  to  retrieve  the  loss 
of  the  vessel.  A  scheme  was  at  last  hit  upon  to  accomplish 
the  latter  object. 

In  the  December  following  the  loss  of  the  frigate  the 
Enterprise  captured  a  Tripolitan  ketch,  the  Mastico.  Early 
in  the  winter  of  1804  Captain  Preble  and  some  of  the  lieu 
tenants  of  the  fleet  conceived  the  idea  that  this  vessel  could 
be  used  to  steal  into  the  harbor  of  Tripoli  and  destroy  the 
frigate.  Accordingly,  the  ketch  was  prepared  and  sent  out 
from  Syracuse,  where  we  lay,  on  the  hazardous  errand. 
Lieutenant  Decatur  was  given  command  of  her,  with  Lieu 
tenant  James  Lawrence  second  in  command.  The  crew 
was  taken  from  the  men  of  the  Enterprise,  through  which 
circumstance  I  became  one  of  the  number. 

We  sailed  from  Syracuse  accompanied  by  the  brig  Siren, 
Lieutenant  Stewart,  to  back  up  the  expedition  and  cover 
the  retreat  of  the  ketch.  We  were  laden  with  combustibles, 
the  plan  being  to  steal  on  the  frigate  under  pretence  of  being 
a  merchant  craft,  take  it  by  boarding,  fire  it,  and  retreat  to 
sea,  depending  for  our  safety  upon  surprise  in  the  attack. 
Arriving  off  Tripoli  early  in  February,  1804,  we  explored 
and  made  soundings  preparatory  to  the  adventure,  but  a 
storm  coming  up  drove  us  to  sea,  where  we  tossed  for  a  week* 
in  great  discomfort  and  some  danger,  there  being  a  numerous 
crew  aboard,  and  the  vessel  not  having  been  built  for  a 
heavy  sea. 

On  the  ninth  of  the  month  we  were  again  at  the  harbor 


234  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

entrance,  which  we  passed  by  the  east  channel  in  the  early 
evening.  Decatur  and  six  of  the  crew  were  dressed  as 
Maltese  for  the  purpose  of  concealing  our  identity.  The 
rest  of  the  crew  hid  below,  or  along  the  gunwales,  where 
the  shadows  would  conceal  them.  I  was  one  of  those 
dressed  in  disguise  who  remained  about  the  decks. 

It  was  evening  and  quite  dusk  when  we  drew  into  the 
harbor,  Lieutenant  Decatur  having  set  drags  astern  to  retard 
our  progress  without  shortening  sail.  I  shall  not  readily 
forget  my  sensations  as  we  approached  the  frigate,  sur 
rounded  by  gunboats  and  brigs-of-war,  and  lying  under  the 
guns  of  the  castle  batteries.  It  seemed  like  going  into  the 
jaws  of  death,  and  I  confess  that  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  undaunted  courage  of  Decatur  I  should  have  lost  heart 
over  the  outcome.  As  it  was,  I  was  filled  with  many  somber 
reflections,  thinking  much  of  Ruth,  and  of  my  father. 

As  we  approached  close  to  the  vessel,  with  the  wind 
slackening  and  a  deep  hush  over  the  water,  there  came  a 
hail  of  shot  from  the  frigate  and  a  demand  to  know  who 
we  were.  The  pilot,  Salvatore  Catalano,  a  Maltese,  in 
structed  by  Decatur,  answered  that  we  were  a  Maltese  fruit 
vessel,  explaining  that  we  had  lost  our  anchors,  and  desired 
to  make  fast  to  the  frigate's  chains  until  morning. 

The  request  was  grumblingly  granted,  and  we  drew  near. 
Our  situation,  dangerous  at  best,  soon  grew  critical;  for 
the  wind,  which  had  been  dying  away,  fell  almost  entirely, 
so  that  we  merely  crept  through  the  water.  Nevertheless, 
taking  our  cue  from  Decatur,  who  lounged  by  the  wheel 
in  his  Maltese  dress,  we  kept  up  a  brave  pretence  of  being 
'fruit  carriers  of  the  Mediterranean.  But  I  shall  never  for 
get  the  anxiety  of  those  who  lay  concealed  along  the  bul 
warks  as  we  crept  closer  and  closer  with  the  dying  wind; 
for  they  could  neither  see  what  was  happening  nor  be  in 
formed  by  us. 


DECATUR  TAKING  THE  "PHILADELPHIA"  IN  THE  BAY  OF  TRIPOLI:     LORD  NEL 
SON  CHARACTERIZED  THIS    EXPLOIT  AS  THE  MOST   DARING  ACT  OF   THE  AGE 
(From  the  drawing  by  Freeland  A.  Carter) 


IN  THE  BARBARY  STATES 


237 


Coming  closer  still,  and  beginning  to  drift  under  the 
guns  of  the  frigate,  which  were  double-shotted  and  could 
have  blown  us  into  the  air  with  one  broadside,  Lieutenant 
Decatur  ordered  me  and  another,  a  sailor,  to  take  a  line  to 
the  frigate's  bow.     We  got  the  boat  over,  stowed  the  line, 
and  made  it  fast  to  the  ring  bolt  in  the  frigate, 
well  forward.     As  we  were  returning,  a  new 
danger  threatened;   for  the  Tripolitan  officer 
in  command,  desiring  us  to  come  astern, 
sent   out   a   small    boat  toward   our 
vessel  with  a  line,  which,  if  it  should 
reach  us,  would  discover  our  real 
characters.    With  rare  presence 
of  mind,  Decatur  ordered  us 
to  intercept  the  boat  and 
relieve  the  men  in  her  of 
the  line;  which  we  did, 
thanking    them     pro 
fusely  in  the   Lingua 
Franca    and    assuring 
them  that  they  need  trouble 
themselves  no  further. 

Meanwhile  the  men  on  the  deck 
were  hauling  in  on  the  forward  line, 
assisted  by   those    hidden  behind   the 

J  DAVID  PORTER    (From  the 

gunwales,  who  reached  up  and  over-  etching  by  H.  B.  Hail) 
handed  the  rope  from  their  concealment.  We  were  pro 
ceeding  well,  when  there  was  an  excitement  on  the  frigate, 
some  one  having  seen  the  anchors  on  our  forecastle,  which 
we  had  just  said  we  had  lost.  In  the  next  moment  there 
was  a  cry  of  " Americanos,  Americanos!"  and  a  great 
scurrying  and  bustle  among  the  Turks. 

The  ketch  swarmed  instantly  with  men,  those  who  had 
been  hidden  leaping  to  their  feet  and  running  aft  with  the 


238 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


line,  dragging  the  little  craft  through  the  water  at  a  lively 
gait.  In  a  trice  we  were  abreast  the  main  chains,  and  about 
to  grapple,  when  a  sailor  on  the  frigate,  perceiving  our  line  to 
the  bow,  leapt  upon  the  martingale  and  cut  it  with  three 
strokes  of  his  scimitar.  The  act  would  have  been  fatal  to 
our  plans  and  ourselves  if  the  ketch  had  not  already  gath- 


LlEUTENANT    DAVID     PORTER'S    ATTACK    ON    THE   CORSAIRS    IN   THE    HARBOR  Oi 

TRIPOLI     (From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff) 

ered  such  way  that  she  continued  to  bear  in  upon  the  frigate 
until  we  could  grapple  and  make  fast. 

"Boarders,  away!"  shouted  Decatur,  leaping  into  the 
main  chains,  cutlass  in  hand,  followed  by  Lieutenants  Morris 
and  Laws  and  by  the  entire  crew,  save  those  left  behind  to 
watch  the  ketch,  and  pass  up  the  combustibles. 

Laws  was  first  on  deck,  and  Decatur,  who  had  slipped 
his  footing,  followed  him.  But  there  was  little  difference 
in  the  time  of  arrival  between  the  first  and  the  last.  ,In  a 
moment  we  were  swarming  aboard,  cutlasses  drawn,  driving 
the  Turks  ahead  of  us.  There  was  no  firing,  the  order  being 
to  use  only  cutlass  and  boarding  pike,  so  that  there  would 
be  no  unnecessary  alarm  ashore. 

Forming  in  a  line,  we  swept  forward,  striking  down  those 


IN   THE   BARBARY   STATES  239 

who  opposed,  silent,  resistless,  awful  to  our  foes.  We 
heard  them  leaping  overboard,  where  they  were  intercepted 
in  large  numbers  by  two  small  boats  from  the  Mastico. 
Many  ran  below  to  hide  in  the  hold;  some  who  came  from 
below  leapt  through  the  gun  ports  into  the  water  to  avoid 
us.  Ten  minutes  after  we  were  first  discovered  to  be  Ameri 
canos,  we  were  in  control  of  the  ship. 

Decatur  would  have  made  the  attempt  to  cut  her  out 
and  bring  her  back  to  the  fleet,  if  he  had  not  been  peremp 
torily  forbidden  to  do  so  by  Captain  Preble.  As  it  was,  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  destroy  her,  at  least  to  the 
point  of  preventing  her  from  being  of  further  service  to  the 
enemy.  The  combustibles  were  handed  up  and  placed 
about  the  ship,  the  word  given  to  put  them  afire,  and  soon 
smoke  was  pouring  from  hatch  and  port. 

Ordering  the  men  back  into  the  ketch,  Decatur  waited 
until  certain  that  the  fire  was  well  started,  when  he  too 
started  to  follow.  When  he  came  to  the  side  of  the  frigate, 
the  ketch,  which  had  already  been  cast  off  forward,  was 
drifting  away.  Running  along  the  Philadelphia's  quarter 
deck  until  he  was  abreast  the  rigging,  he  leapt  into  it  and 
so  came  down  to  the  deck. 

By  this  time  the  flames  were  whirling  through  the  gun 
ports  and  lapping  up  the  rigging.  There  was  momentary 
danger  that  she  would  blow  up,  or  that  her  guns,  double- 
shotted,  would  be  discharged  by  the  heat  and  would  damage 
us.  The  guns  of  the  batteries  ashore,  meanwhile,  were  be 
ginning  to  fire,  the  alarm  having  been  given,  either  through 
some  of  the  enemy's  sailors  who  had  escaped,  or  through 
observation  of  the  unusual  commotion  on  board  the  frigate, 
easily  visible  from  the  batteries. 

We  were  making  ready  to  put  off,  the  men  were  at  the 
sweeps  and  Catalano  at  the  tiller,  when  it  was  discovered 
that  something  held  us  against  the  side  of  the  burning 


240 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


frigate.  Every  moment  brought  the  inevitable  blowing  up 
of  the  vessel  nearer;  the  harbor  was  stirring  into  action 
under  the  alarm,  which  spread  rapidly;  flames  were  already 
curling  out  of  the  after  ports,  against  which  the  sails  of 
the  nttin  ketch  were  slatting.  One  tongue  of  flame 
shot  past  me  and  into  the  cabin  window, 
where  it  lapped  about  the  tar 
paulin  that  covered  all 
our  ammunition. 

I  did  not  cry  out; 
I  did  not  stir.     That 
much    control    was 
still  left   me.     But 
I  shut  my  eyes,  in 
momentary    expec 
tation   of    the   end, 
thinking  of  my  two 
loved    ones.     When    I 
opened  them,  I  saw  Lieu 
tenant  Decatur  and  some 
others    engaged    at    the 
stern  of  the  ketch;   and 
in  a  moment  she  swung 
free.     With  that  cool  calm 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE  which  never  deserted  him  in  any 

extremity,  Decatur  had  observed  that  the  line  brought  to 
us  from  the  frigate  and  made  fast  at  our  stern  had  been 
forgotten,  and  still  held  us.  He  and  some  others  severed  it 
with  cutlasses,  freeing  our  craft  from  the  flaming  monster. 
Released  from  that  imminent  disaster,  we  all  breathed 
more  freely  as  we  swept  out  into  the  harbor,  neglecting  in 
large  measure  the  risk  we  still  ran ;  for  the  harbor  was  now 
alight  with  the  flames  from  the  vessel,  making  us  a  fair  mark 
for  the  guns  of  the  batteries.  Whether  it  was  excess  of  rage 


IN   THE   BARBARY   STATES 


241 


"jfe*Mb 


against  us,  or  some  degree  of  superstitious  awe  in  which  the 
gunners  held  us,  I  cannot  say,  but  in  all  the  cannonade  only 
one  shot  came  near. 

Rowing  with  vigor,  we  gained  a  position  beyond  the  zone 
of  fire,  where  the  men  rested  on  their  oars  to  watch  the 
last  act  of  the 
drama  we 
had  set  afoot. 
Flames  were 
bursting  now 
from  port  and 
hatch,  curling 
into  the  night. 
Above  the 
beautiful  frig 
ate  spouted  a 
torrent  of 
ruddy  smoke, 
interspersed 
with  sparks 
and  embers. 

The   double-  THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  NAPOLEON  AT  CORSICA 

shotted  guns  were  discharging  now  at  frequent  intervals, 
loosening  swarms  of  sparks  with  each  detonation.  The 
rigging  was  a  vivid  fretwork  of  fire,  twisting  and  sputtering 
along  the  tarred  ropes  and  cordage.  As  we  looked,  the 
whole  ship  lifted  out  of  the  water  in  a  mass  of  red  flames, 
swift  and  streaked ;  a  mighty  roar  deafened  us ;  a  whiff  of  hot 
air  passed  our  cheeks.  The  Philadelphia  had  blown  up. 

Fluttering  in  the  night,  the  light  died  away.  Silently, 
but  in  triumph,  we  rowed  through  the  northern  entrance  of 
the  harbor,  where  we  were  joined  by  the  Siren  and  con 
voyed  back  to  the  fleet;  heroes,  it  would  seem,  forevermore. 


CHAPTER  VII 


DANGERS,   AND   A   GLASS    OF   WINE 

A  DMIRAL  NELSON  of  the  British  navy  pronounced 
JL\.  our  exploit  "the  most  bold  and  daring  act  of  the  age," 
and  the  news  of  it  caused  prodigious  rejoicing  in  the  fleet. 
Until  this  time  our  fleet  could  accomplish  little  against 
the  port  of  Tripoli,  because  of  shallow  waters  in  front  of  the 
place  and  the  numerous  gunboats  of  the  enemy.  But  now 
there  joined  us  six  gunboats  and  two  bomb  vessels,  which 
had  been  lent  us  by  the  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies.  With  this 

reinforcement, 
Commodore 
Preble  attempted 
a  series  of  direct 
attacks  upon  the 
town.  Five 
times  the  gun 
boats  of  the 
squadron  en 
gaged  those  of 
the  enemy  with 
varying  degrees 
of  success,  the 
Constitution 
coming  up  each 
time  to  bombard 
the  batteries  and 
the  town.  In 
each  affair  the 
Tripoli  tans  were 


HORATIO,  ADMIRAL.  LORD  NELSON 
portrait) 


(From  the  Hoppner 


242 


DANGERS,    AND    A    GLASS    OF    WINE     243 


driven  from  their  guns  with  heavy  loss;  but  as  they  num 
bered  25,000  men  our  blows  could  make  little  permanent 
impression  on  them. 

These  operations  lasted  through  the  month  of  August. 
Early  in  September  an  expedient  was  resorted  to  for  damag 
ing  the  enemy's  fleet, 
the  execution  of 
which  was  accompa 
nied  with  so  much 
more  danger  than  the 
one  we  had  engaged 
in,  and  which  was  so 
much  more  daring, 
that  I  blush  when 
those  who  fired  the 
Philadelphia  receive 
more  praises  from 
their  countrymen. 

I  speak  of  the 
plan  to  make  a  fire- 
ship  of  the  Mastico, 
rechristened  the  In 
trepid  since  our  ad 
venture  in  her,  and  to 

blow    Up    the  fleet  of     EDWARD   PREBLE 

gunboats  inside  the 
harbor.  She  was  prepared  by  pouring  a  hundred  barrels 
of  gunpowder  into  a  room  forward,  from  which  a  fuse  was 
led  to  a  room  aft,  where  a  quantity  of  combustibles  was 
stored.  On  the  deck  above  the  powder  was  placed  upward 
of  a  hundred  shells,  and  a  quantity  of  old  iron  and  such 
kentledge.  The  intention  was  to  run  her  into  the  harbor 
with  a  picked  crew,  under  guise  of  being  a  merchant  craft 
slipping  past  the  blockade  then  come  among  the  fleet,  and 


(From  the  portrait  in  Faneuil 
Hall,  Boston] 


244  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

fire  the  after  compartment,  the  crew  escaping  by  means 
of  two  cutters. 

Lieutenant  Richard  Somers  received  the  honor  of  com 
manding  the  expedition.  Second  in  command  was  Henry 
Wads  worth,  whose  nephew  and  namesake,  Longfellow,  is 
now  one  of  our  most  promising  young  poets,  and  Joseph 
Isaacs,  who  concealed  himself  aboard.  They  took  with 
them  a  crew  of  ten  men,  each  of  whom  understood  fully 
that  they  would  never  be  taken  alive.  I,  having  been  on 
the  previous  expedition,  was  not  privileged  to  go. 

Their  departure  marked  a  moment  of  solemnity  and  sad 
ness  in  the  crews  from  which  they  were  taken.  Each  man 
before  leaving  divided  his  belongings  among  his  friends  and 
left  final  messages.  Somers,  parting  from  Decatur  and 
Stewart,  with  whom  he  was  on  terms  of  the  dearest  friend 
ship,  broke  in  three  pieces  a  ring  he  wore,  giving  to  each  a 
piece  and  retaining  the  third  for  himself.  What  courage  is 
more  affecting  than  that  which  enables  men  to  go  freely  to 
a  foreknown  doom? 

The  Intrepid  sailed  in  a  night  full  of  mist;  and  the  mist 
into  which  she  disappeared  through  the  entrance  of  the  har 
bor  of  Tripoli  still  envelops  the  fate  that  befell  her  crew. 
We  who  had  waited  outside  for  the  return  of  the  cutters 
only  know  that  after  she  had  been  lost  to  sight  for  a  space  we 
heard  the  sound  of  firing,  and  presently  saw  a  light,  appar 
ently  borne  along  the  deck  of  a  vessel,  which  vanished  in  a 
twinkling.  In  the  next  moment  the  heavens  burst  with  a 
mighty  roar,  and  the  sky  streamed  fire.  We  knew  then  that 
the  ketch  had  blown  up.  From  what  we  could  ascertain 
afterward,  we  guessed  that  Somers,  going  aground  in  the 
channel  and  finding  that  he  was  about  to  fall  into  the 
enemy's  hands,  deliberately  went  into  the  powder  room 
with  a  light  and  fired  the  magazine.  One  of  the  enemy's 
gunboats  was  sunk,  and  two  crippled. 


THE   "CONSTITUTION"  —  "OLD  IRONSIDES"  —  IN  THE  CHARLESTOWN  NAVY  YARD,  SHOWING 
BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT  IN  THE  BACKGROUND     (From  a  photograph  by  Baldwin  Coolidge) 


DANGERS,   AND   A   GLASS   OF   WINE       247 

Meanwhile,  the  government  continued  to  increase  the 
force  of  the  navy  in  the  Mediterranean  until  we  had  a 
respectable  fleet  of  war  vessels  assembled  in  those  waters. 
The  command  passed  to  Captain  James  Barron,  who  after 
ward  released  it  to  John  Rodgers,  returning  to  America 
because  of  ill  health.  Activities  at  sea  were  now  confined 
to  two  expeditions,  one  against  Tunis  and  the  other  one 
of  which  I  shall  presently  speak.  The  Bey  of  Tunis,  urged 
on  probably  by  England,  became  insolent  about  the  time 
we  were  bombarding  Tripoli.  Captain  Rodgers,  hearing 
of  it  through  the  American  consul,  Mr.  Davis,  repaired 
thither  with  thirteen  war- vessels,  and  informed  the  Bey 
that  he  had  thirty-six  hours  in  which  to  conform  to  terms  of 
peace  proposed  by  Captain  Rodgers.  The  ultimatum,  backed 
by  the  powerful  fleet,  had  a  salutary  effect.  The  Bey  com 
plied,  and  in  September  the  Congress,  Captain  Stephen 
Decatur  in  command,  sailed  for  Washington,  bearing  a 
Tunisian  minister  to  the  United  States. 

The  other  affair  was  an  intrigue  between  Mr.  William 
Eaton,  formerly  our  consul  at  Tunis,  and  Hamet  Kara 
mauli,  brother  of  Jussuf  Karamauli,  Bashaw  of  Tripoli  and 
pretender  to  the  throne.  Mr.  Eaton  induced  Hamet  to 
organize  an  army  and  move  against  Tripoli  in  cooperation 
with  the  American  fleet.  The  army,  a  motley  array  of 
oriental  and  Christian  adventurers,  moved  across  the 
desert  upon  Derne,  the  capital  of  the  richest  province  of 
Tripoli,  led  by  Mr.  Eaton  and  Hamet  Karamauli,  Derne 
being  taken  with  the  assistance  of  part  of  the  fleet  under 
Master-Commandant  Isaac  Hull.  Hamet  asked  for  an 
additional  supply  of  ammunition,  which  Hull  refused  him, 
telling  him  that  if  his  claim  was  good,  he  ought  now  to  be 
able  to  enlist  enough  help  from  the  people  of  the  province 
to  make  it  possible  for  him  to  march  against  Tripoli. 

Although   he   failed  in   this,   the   internal   disturbance 


248 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


combined  with  the  external  attacks  of  the  Americans  fright 
ened  the  Bashaw  into  a  disposition  for  peace.  On  the  third 
of  June,  1805,  he  signed  a  treaty  relinquishing  all  future 
claim  to  tribute  from  the  United  States,  and  agreeing  to  ex 
change  his  prisoners  for  the  Tripolitans  we  had  taken, 

and  a  ransom 
of  $60,000 ; 
terms  consid 
ered  more  fa 
vorable  than 
could  have 
been  hoped 
for. 

My  feelings 
when       I 
learned     that 
_  the  American 

ALGIERS,  FROM  THE  SEA  captives      in 

Tripoli  were  to  be  surrendered  can  be  imagined.  Al 
though  the  time  of  exchange  was  predicated  upon  the  rati 
fication  of  the  treaty  and  payment  of  the  ransom,  and  was 
therefore  postponed,  I  arranged  through  Captain  Rodgers, 
to  whom  I  told  my  story,  to  go  ashore  and  make  inquiries, 
to  ascertain  whether  there  might  be  one  among  them  who 
might  prove  to  be  my  father.  But  though  I  searched  dili 
gently,  with  the  assistance  of  the  consul  and  the  indulgence 
of  a  man  high  in  official  circles  in  Tripoli,  I  learned  nothing 
of  comfort ;  so  that  it  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that  I  turned 
my  face  once  more  toward  the  west,  when  the  Enterprise 
sailed  for  America. 

Now  I  come  to  a  part  of  my  story  which  has  always 
seemed  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  tragedy;  though  there 
is  in  it  grim  humor  too.  Among  the  sailors  whom  we  ex 
changed,  and  who  came  aboard  our  vessel  that  he  might 


DANGERS,   AND   A   GLASS   OF  WINE       249 

be  with  a  mate  whom  he  had  formerly  known,  was  an 
Irishman  named  O'Brien.  He  had  been  one  of  the  Phila 
delphia's  crew.  Not  to  omit  any  chance  to  make  inquiries 
for  my  father,  I  fell  into  an  acquaintance  with  O'Brien,  and 
we  soon  became  as  close  friends  as  the  difference  in  our 
station  aboard  ship  would  permit,  I  now  being  a  midship 
man.  He  told  me  many  tales,  and  at  last  the  tale  which 
made  the  tragedy  to  which  I  have  referred.  It  was  in  mid- 
Atlantic,  on  a  soft  night,  with  a  fresh  free  breeze  and  a  pretty 
sea,  that  he  told  me.  We  were  lounging  in  the  waist  of  the 
schooner,  talking  desultorily  of  our  past  experiences. 

"  And  't  is  not  the  first  time  ever  I  was  in  the  hands  of 
them  savages,"  he  said  to  me,  after  a  pause  following  an 
anecdote  of  his  life  in  Tripoli. 

"So?"  said  I.     "Was  it  in  Tripoli,  that  other  time?" 

"It  was  not,"  said  he.  "It  was  in  Algiers,  and  lucky  I 
was  to  come  out  of  there,  too,  after  a  good  two  years  spent 
as  a  slave  for  the  blackamoors,  for  I  might  tell  ye  of  one 
who  had  been  already  there  for  fifteen  long  years,  and  may 
still  be  there,  for  all  I  know;  he  being  already  half  Turk." 

His  words  started  a  strange  thrill  within  me,  which  I 
was  at  great  pains  to  dissemble,  for  I  did  not  wish  to  startle 
him  from  the  story, —  a  thing  I  had  learned  was  easily  done 
by  any  appearance  of  urging  him  to  talk.  "Do  you  mean 
that  the  man  had  lost  his  nationality  and  was  being  assimi 
lated  by  the  Algerians?"  I  asked,  by  the  way. 

"Assimilated  or  not  I  don't  know,"  replied  O'Brien, 
looking  at  me  beneath  his  brows;  "but  true  to  tell,  he  was 
half  Turk  then,  as  I  have  said." 

"Didn't  he  want  to  get  back  to  his  own  country?"  I 
went  on,  still  with  a  show  of  indifference.  "Was  there  no 
one  to  whom  he  wished  to  return?" 

"There  was  not,"  said  O'Brien;  "and  thereby  hangs 
my  tale,  if  you  would  hear  it." 


250  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

I  took  out  my  chronometer,  pretending  to  look  at  it, 
before  I  answered.  "I  should  like  to  listen  to  it,  O'Brien, 
if  it  is  not  too  long." 

"Well,  then,  we  '11  have  it;  for  't  is  a  likely  yarn,  and 
one  for  such  a  night  as  this  on  a  homeward  voyage,"  he 
returned.  "I  first  saw  him  about  the  palace  of  the  Dey, 
where  I  was  laying  up  a  stone  wall,  being  among  other  things 
handy  with  a  trowel.  He  was  a  sort  of  an  overseer,  as  I 
learned  afterward  from  his  own  tongue;  for  he  was  ready 
with  figures  and  sharp  to  look  about  him.  He  was  come  to 
see  that  the  wall  went  up  right. 

"I  took  him  for  one  of  the  heathen,  getting  but  a  glimpse 
of  him  above  my  shoulder  as  I  worked;  but  betimes,  when 
he  stood  hanging  behind  me  with  never  a  word,  I  turned  to 
gaze  full  upon  him,  being  minded  to  pass  a  compliment  or 
two  upon  him  for  his  impudence  in  staring  so.  Then  I 
saw  that  I  was  mistaken,  and  that  the  man  was  white.  A 
sizable  man  he  was,  too,  with  a  fine  Christian  face,  but 
one  that  might  have  been  a  thousand  years  on  earth,  by 
the  look. 

"'So  't  is  you,  then?'  says  I,  nonplussed  to  see  he  was 
not  a  Turk.  'You  should  have  better  care  with  your  dress 
lest  a  Christian  mistake  ye  for  a  Turk,  as  I  have. " 

"'Are  you  from  America?'  says  he,  abrupt  like. 

"'Ay,  mate,  and  a  long  way  from,'  says  I.  'Maybe 
you  are  the  same?' 

"He  shook  his  head,  and  smiled  a  smile  that  made 
me  wish  to  weep  in  his  long  white  hair.  'I  was,  once,' 
says  he. 

'"I  am  pleased  to  know  as  much,  for  it  makes  ye  seem 
still  less  like  a  Turk,'  says  I.  'And  how  long  may  it  be 
since  ye  came  to  this  port?' 

"'Near  fourteen  years,'  said  he. 

"' Glory  be!'  says  I.    '  'T  is  a  cheerful  prospect  for  my- 


DANGERS,  AND  A   GLASS   OF  WINE       251 

self.  But  how  comes  it  ye  stay  so  long,  and  wear  the  gear 
of  a  Turk  ?  Have  you  no  love  for  your  land  ? ' 

At  that  he  smiled,  for  which  I  was  sad;  for  it  was  like 
the  sorrows  of  the  wide  world  when  he  smiled;  but  it 
roused  him,  as  I  thought  it  would.  '  Think  you  I  stay 
here  for  my;own  pleasure?'  he  asked  me,  indignant  like. 

"'I  think  nothing  at  all,  only  that  it  is  a  strange  thing 
for  a  man  to  be  here  so  long,  when  the  United  States  is  so 
handy  about  buying  ransoms,'  says  I. 

"'I  am  forgotten,  I  tell  you,'  says  he. 

"'Am  I  an  old  woman,  that  ye  talk  to  me  in  riddles?' 
says  I.  'How  can  it  be  that  a  man  is  forgotten?' 

"'  Fourteen  years  ago,'  says  he,  looking  afar,  and  coming 
at  last  to  the  tale;  'fourteen  years  ago  I  set  sail  from  Boston 
with  my  son,  a  lad  of  two  years.  His  mother  had  died  when 
he  was  an  infant,  and  wre  were  left  alone  in  the  western 
world;  I  was  engaged  in  commerce  with  others.  It  came 
about  that  one  of  us  must  make  a  voyage  to  France,  and  I, 
being  sick  at  heart  and  in  need  of  new  scenes,  was  chosen. 
There  was  no  one  with  whom  I  might  leave  my  lad,  and 
I  took  him  with  me. 

'"He  was  a  likely  lad,  with  a  bright  face  and  eyes  out  of 
which  his  mother's  soul  looked  at  me.  He  played  about 
the  ship,  the  idol  of  the  sailors,  who  took  him  aloft  with 
them  in  fair  weather,  and  made  much  of  him,  he  being 
manly  and  brave  beyond  belief.'  He  wiped  a  tear  from  his 
eye  as  he  spoke,  and,  praise  be,  so  did  I.  Sure,  to  be  a 
slave  and  childless  and  forgotten  there  among  those  raven 
ing  Turks  was  enough  to  make  any  man  weep. 

"'All  went  well,'  says  he,  continuing,  'until  we  were  near 
the  coast  of  France,  when  we  were  attacked  by  a  corsair. 
When  the  pirates  were  approaching,  I  took  my  boy,  my 
baby,  and  concealed  him  in  a  cuddy  in  the  captain's  cabin, 
hoping  to  keep  him  from  harm.  We  made  a  bitter  fight  for 


252 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


our  freedom,  killing  many  of  the  pirates;  but  they  were 
too  strong  for  us  in  the  end.  I  myself  was  struck  by  a 
scimitar  before  it  was  over,  and  when  I  recovered  my  senses 
we  were  aboard  the  corsair,  with  no  other  sail  in  sight. 

"'There  were  a  score  or  more  of  the  sailors  and  passen 
gers  aboard,  the  others  having  been  slain  in  the  struggle. 
I  wondered  that  they  had  brought  me, 

wounded  as 
I  was,  instead 
of  pitching  me 
over  the  side,  as 
was  their  habit, 
until  the  captain 
of  our  vessel 
told  me  that  he 
himself  had 
prevailed  upon 
the  corsair  to 
save  me,  telling 
him  that  I  was 
a  man  of  con 
sequence,  whose 
ransom  would  be  worth  while.  I  inquired  among  them 
for  my  boy.  They  had  forgotten  him  in  the  confusion;  he 
was  left  alone  on  the  deserted  vessel,  hidden  in  the  dark 
cuddy. 

"  'God  help  me,  what  misery  was  mine!  What  torture 
have  I  not  endured  in  the  weary  years  since  then,  picturing 
his  slow  death  on  that  awful  ship!  Alone  on  the  wide  seas! 
Creeping  from  his  hiding-place  to  call  my  name  among  the 
dead  on  the  decks  of  that  horrible  ship!  Alone  in  the  dark 
night,  with  the  dead  about  him,  weeping,  seeking  me,  crying 
out  my  name! 

"  'Great  God,  why  have  I  not  been  bereft  of  my  senses. 


A  TROPICAL  GARDEN  IN  ALGIERS 


DANGERS,   AND   A   GLASS   OF   WINE       253 

that  I  might  forget  this  terrible  thing?  I  see  his  piteous  face 
before  me  in  the  night ;  silent  places  echo  with  his  despairing 
cry.  I  see  the  terror  in  his  eyes;  the  eyes  out  of  which  his 
mother's  soul  looked  into  mine.  I  see  him  weak,  perishing— 

"  'Come,  now,'  says  I  laying  hand  on  him,  seeing  he 
went  too  far  for  his  own  good,  let  alone  mine.  'Ye  see  noth 
ing  of  the  kind.  'T  was  near  the  coast  of  France,  ye  say? 
Belike  he  is  a  good  sized  Frenchman  by  this  time,  mate; 
for  't  is  not  long  that  any  manner  of  a  ship  can  drift  up  and 
down  the  seas  near  the  coast  of  France,  acting  strange,  with 
out  being  boarded  by  some  manner  of  seafaring  men,  most 
like  to  be  French.  Come,  have  cheer,  my  hearty,  for  't  will 
not  be  so  bad  as  ye  think  for.'  With  that  I  struck  him 
rough  upon  the  shoulder  to  rouse  him. 

"Whether  it  was  that  I  recalled  him  to  himself,  or 
whether  he  repented  having  laid  bare  his  aching  soul  to  the 
eyes  of  an  Irishman,  I  have  no  way  of  knowing,  but  true  it  is 
that  he  became  straightway  calm.  'I  was  very  bitter  with 
them;  both  the  men  of  our  ship,  captives  now,  and  the 
pirates,  for  what  had  happened,'  he  went  on,  'so  that  I  in 
curred  their  displeasure;  and  when  we  came  to  Algiers  my 
captors,  finding  me  not  a  man  of  consequence,  as  they  had 
thought,  sold  me  into  bondage  in  the  interior.  Many  long 
years  I  was  far  from  the  coast,  and  beyond  the  reach  of  my 
countrymen.  That  is  how  it  is  that  I  came  to  be  forgotten. 
And  when  I  returned  to  Algiers—  He  broke  off.  '  What 
manner  of  difference  does  it  make  whether  I  am  here  or  else 
where?'  He  made  an  end. 

"  'It  makes  the  difference  that  there  is  between  a  Chris 
tian  and  a  Turk,'  said  I.  'Have  you  never  told  your  tale  to 
the  consul  here?" 

"  'I  have  told  my  tale  to  no  one  but  you,'  he  answered. 

"And  you,  O'Brien?"  I  asked,  composing  myself  with 
an  effect  "Did  you  not  tell  the  consul?" 


254 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


"That  I  did  not," 
replied  the  fellow, 
"for  't  was  no  affair 
of  mine  if  a  Christian 
has  a  desire  to  turn 
Turk." 

"And  then?"  I 
suggested. 

"And  then,  there 
was  no  more ;  for  my 
stomach  turned 
against  the  man  to 
think  of  his  turning 
Turk,  and  I  fell  to 
my  work.  By  the 
same  token,  't  is  fit  I 
should  take  my  watch 
below." 

With  that  he  left 
me  alone  in  the  waist 
of  the  ship  —  alone  with  the  story  he  had  told  me  of  this 
man,  whom  I  knew  in  my  heart  to  be  my  father. 

I  spoke  no  more  with  O'Brien  during  the  voyage,  turning 
against  the  man  because  he  had  not  saved  my  father  with 
a  word  to  the  consul.  I  spoke  little  to  any  one,  although 
I  made  a  bold  show  about  my  accustomed  duties.  All  the 
weary  way  across  the  waters  I  brooded  with  a  heavy  heart, 
trying  to  think  clearly  to  an  end,  trying  to  plan. 

At  last  we  landed  in  Philadelphia.  I  was  still  like  one 
in  a  stupor,  not  knowing  whither  to  turn  my  next  step. 
Walking  up  the  street,  I  passed  a  tavern.  I  turned  back; 
I  would  stop  for  a  glass  of  wine;  I  must  find  time  to  think; 
I  would  try  again  to  arrive  at  some  course  of  action.  It 
was  not  my  custom  to  drink,  except  on  occasion.  It  was 


THE  PORT  OF  ALGIERS 


DANGERS,  AND  A   GLASS   OF  WINE       255 

not  with  a  purpose  of  drinking  that  I  turned  back  to  the 
tavern  now.     It  was  only  to  find  time  to  think. 

If  I  had  known  what  it  was  to  cost;  if  I  had  known 
whither  my  feet  led  me  then,  I  would  have  stricken  them 
from  my  limbs,  and  the  tongue  from  my  mouth,  rather  than 
turn  back  as  I  did. 


BOOK  III 

THE   SECOND   WAR 


CHAPTER  I 
THE    SECRETARY   HAS    GUESTS 

ANY  one  with  half  an  eye  could  have  seen  that  some 
thing  was  wrong  with  the  dinner  party,  and  that  it 
was  not  the  viands  or  the  wines.  The  host,  Mr.  James 
Madison,  secretary  of  state,  sat  uneasily  in  his  seat  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  clearly  apprehensive  of  some  impending 
disaster.  Senator  Fontaine  Stevens  of  Massachusetts,  taking 
refuge  behind  his  chest,  from  which  vantage-point  he  emitted 
occasional  platitudes,  was  neither  imposing  nor  happy ;  while 
Cyril  Thwaite,  member  of  the  house  from  Massachusetts, 
was  making  not  the  least  attempt  to  conceal  his  frame  of 
mind,  dividing  his  time  exclusively  between  looking  down 
his  nose  in  fuming  silence  and  addressing  himself  sotto  voce 
to  Leonora,  the  senator's  daughter. 

As  for  the  women  of  the  party,  little  more  can  be  said 
except  that  women  by  nature  are  better  equipped  than  men 
to  carry  off  an  unnatural  situation  with  convincing  effect. 
Yet  even  the  hostess,  Dolly  Madison,  wife  of  the  secretary, 
was  for  once  at  a  loss.  Her  beauty,  her  charm,  her  sim 
plicity,  her  naivete,  were  still  about  her,  but  they  lacked  the 
vital  spark;  they  were  not  spontaneous.  As  a  matter  of 
truth,  Mrs.  Madison  was  palpably  conscious  of  herself  in 
relation  to  her  surroundings;  a  condition  unusual  in  her. 
The  senator's  wife,  fully  aware  of  the  electrical  charge  in  the 
atmosphere,  was  making  glorious  efforts  to  abet  the  hostess, 

256 


MISTRESS  DOLLY  MADISON     (From  the  portrait  by  Alonzo  Chappell] 


THE   SECRETARY  HAS   GUESTS  259 

alternately  endeavoring  to  entice  her  husband  from  behind 
his  chest  and  to  suggest  a  pattern  for  the  speech  of  her 
daughter,  who,  having  had  advantages,  was  weaving  a  fabric 
of  conversation  highly  embroidered  but  not  in  much  present 
demand. 

The  only  one  of  the  party  who  was  both  at  ease  and  show 
ing  an  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  purpose  of  the  dinner 
was  Nicholas  Snell,  who,  coming  uninvited  at  the  last  mo 
ment,  had  been  interjected  into  the  company  by  the  host, 
always  a  Virginia  gentleman.  Snell  ate  and  drank  and  talked 
without  fear  or  favor;  over-indulging  a  little  in  all  three 
activities,  perhaps;  addressing  the  host  as  secretary  and  the 
senator  as  such  with  an  easiness  that  did  more  credit  to  Mr. 
Madison's  wine  than  to  his  own  breeding;  patronizing  the 
disgruntled  representative,  and  including  the  ladies  in  his 
remarks  when  he  held  them  to  be  of  feminine  interest.  In 
brief,  and  to  use  a  term,  he  was  the  life  of  the  party,  which, 
as  has  been  suggested,  was  rather  an  unhealthy  party  in  the 
matter  of  enjoyment. 

Snell  was  a  social,  political,  and  moral  anomaly.  He 
had  come  to  Washington  on  the  political  omnibus  conducted 
by  Aaron  Burr,  one  of  the  large  following  that  leader  had 
gathered  about  him.  He  had  been  deep  in  the  conspiracy 
having  for  its  object  the  election  of  Burr  to  the  presidency 
when  there  was  a  tie  between  him  and  Jefferson  in  the  elec 
toral  vote  of  1800,  and  had  continued  to  be  a  friend  of  Burr's 
through  many  things,  including  the  duel  with  Hamilton. 
Then  he  slipped  from  his  seat  on  the  Burr  omnibus  and 
delivered  himself,  bound  and  placarded,  to  President  Jeffer 
son,  as  being  one  who  conducted  a  more  trustworthy  vehicle. 
The  President,  recognizing  in  Snell  a  man  with  a  facility  of 
acquiring  information,  and  a  discretion  in  imparting  it,  had 
received  him  into  a  certain  favor;  whence  it  followed  that 
he  was  welcome  at  the  house  of  the  secretary  of  state,  and 


260 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


that  his  ring  at  the  bell  had  procured  him  admission,  even 
on  the  inauspicious  occasion  of  the  dinner  party. 

There  was  one  other  present  at  the  dinner  who  must  not 
be  omitted  from  mention.  It  was  a  young  woman,  dark, 
pensive,  and  with  just  enough  sadness  in  her  eyes  to  mellow 
and  make  them  beautiful,  and  just  enough  of  quiet  reserve 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  MONTICELLO 

to  arouse  a  man.  Her  name  was  Ruth  Gardner.  She 
was  the  orphaned  daughter  of  a  distant  kinsman  of  the 
secretary,  who  had  recently  come  to  live  with  him.  She 
did  not  seem  to  feel  so  ill  at  ease  as  most  of  the  others  about 
the  table,  but  it  was  more  prepossession  than  self-possession 
that  saved  her. 

The  chances  for  creating  mental  disturbance  on  this 
occasion  were  many  and  mixed.  In  the  first  place,  it  was 
a  love  feast,  a  peace  offering,  to  which  he  had  come  unin 
vited,  unexpected,  and,  perhaps,  unintentionally;  and  love 
feasts,  as  every  one  knows,  are  likely  at  best  to  be  in  a  state 
of  delicate  equilibrium.  This  love  feast  was  for  the  placa- 


THE   SECRETARY   HAS   GUESTS 


261 


tion  of  Senator  Stevens  and  Representative  Thwaite.  The 
senator,  originally  a  Federalist,  had  long  been  wavering 
toward  Jefferson  and  Republicanism,  being  himself  by 
birth  a  Virginian,  with  Virginia  sympathies  and  habits  of 
thought,  and  being  furthermore  a  frank,  honest  soul  not 
below  changing  his  convictions.  Representative  Thwaite 
was  a  hot  Federalist,  reactionary  to  an  extreme,  and  a  fiery 
fighter  against  Jefferson  on  the  floor  of  the  house. 

It  had  been  hinted  that  by  careful  handling  these  two 
men  might  be  inducted  into  the  Republican  fold;  and 
Madison,  acting  on  the  inspiration,  had  them  to  dinner  to 
see  what  could  be  accomplished.  It  is  fair  to  state  that 
the  secretary's  wife  was  not  a  party  to  the  plot,  further  than 
lay  in  the  circumstance  that  she  placed  Representative 
Thwaite,  the  incorrigible,  by  the  side  of  Leonora,  the  sena 
tor's  daughter. 

It  illuminates  the  character  of  Snell  to  observe  that  he 
was  not  deterred  from  indulging  his  whim  to 
make     ^- —  ~~~ ^       trouble 


MONTICELLO,    THE   HOME   OF    JEFFERSON 


262 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


by  any  sense  of  loyalty  to  the  President.  For  material 
from  which  he  might  construct  a  satisfactory  situation,  Snell 
had  at  hand  a  several  and  individual  hatred  held  against 
him  by  Stevens  and  Thwaite,  each  for  reasons  of  his  own. 
Stevens  despised  him  on  general  principles  of  fair  play,  for 
the  part  he  had  taken  in  the  Burr  intrigue  for  the  Presi 
dency;  and  Thwaite  detested  him  for  a 

suspected    complicity   in  the   Burr- 
Hamilton  duel. 

The  Hamilton-Burr  affair  is  ca 
pable  of  much  latitude  in 
interpretation.  The  clouds  of 
partisan  wrath  have  not  yet 
evaporated  from  its  details, 
and  the  outlines  of  the  truth 
are  hard  to  unfog.  Certain 
it  is  that  Burr  and  Hamilton, 
by  temperament  and  circum 
stance,  were  for  many  years 
insatiable  enemies.  Certain 
it  is  that  each  sought  to  undo  the  other  politically;  that 
Hamilton  did  not  spare  Burr  with  pen  or  tongue;  that  Burr, 
whipped  at  last,  challenged  Hamilton  for  certain  expressions 
he  had  let  fall,  and  killed  him  under  the  Heights  of  Wee- 
hawken  in  July,  1804. 

How  much  of  the  opprobrium  that  attaches  to  the  mem 
ory  of  Burr  is  due  to  the  duel  with  Hamilton  is  wholly  matter 
of  conjecture.  Whether  he  would  be  so  harshly  reprobated 
for  it  by  posterity  if  his  personal  history,  precedent  and 
subsequent  to  the  episode,  had  been  different,  can  well  be 
doubted.  The  fact  stands,  however,  that  the  victor  in  the 
fight  was  much  cried  out  upon,  and  was  indicted  in  New 
York  and  New  Jersey.  He  fled  to  Philadelphia,  but  soon 
appeared  on  the  public  stage  again  when,  with  character- 


THE  SPOT  WHERE  HAMILTON  FELL  AT  WEE- 
HAWKEN 


THE   SECRETARY  HAS   GUESTS 


263 


istic  effrontery,  he  presided  over  the  senate  during  the 
impeachment  proceedings  brought  by  John  Randolph,  at 
Jefferson's  instigation,  against  Samuel  Chase  of  the  supreme 
court,  Burr  being  vice-president  until  the  spring  of  1805, 
when  George  Clinton  succeeded  him. 

Thence  he  went  a  journey  through  the  West,  traveling 
as  far  as  New  Orleans,  stopping  to  pay  his  respects  on  the 
way  to  local  celebrities,  among  them  Andrew  Jackson.  He 
returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  to  Philadelphia;  which  brings 
us  back  to  the  dinner  party  in  the  house  of  the  secretary  of 
state  on  an  autumn  day  in  the  year  of  1805;  and  which 
brings  Burr's  shadow  back  with  us.  For  Thwaite,  casting 
his  eye  for  once  beyond  his  nose,  inquired  of  Snell,  with 
mock  interest  and  a  hard  tang  to  his  voice,  where  his  friend 
was  in  hiding  at  that  time. 

"  Congressman,"  answered  Snell,  jovially  enough,  with 
a  relish  for  the  trace  of  hostility  he  detected  in  the  other's 
voice,  "I  have  no  friend  who  is  in  hiding  at  present;  and, 
so  far  as  I  know,  no  friend  who  need  be  in  hiding." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Snell,"  Thwaite  returned,  with 
increasing  sarcasm,  "I  perceive  I  have  used  the  term  ill- 
advisedly.  You  will,  I  hope,  condone  the  inadvertence  as 
a  natural  error,  and  will  doubtless  agree  with  me  that  I 
had  some  ^^fifllHBH^B^^^^  reason  to 


THE  DUEL  BETWEEN  BURR  AND  HAMILTON 


264  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

suppose  that  one  who  had  so  actively  interested  himself  in 
Mr.  Burr's  affairs  on  numerous  occasions  would  not  resent 
being  characterized  as  his  friend  when  his  fortunes  turned." 

The  secretary  of  state  looked  from  Thwaite  to  Snell  in 
some  alarm;  the  women  failed  lamentably  at  the  juncture, 
ceasing  entirely  from  the  chatter  of  their  small  talk  to  await 
the  reply;  Senator  Stevens  prepared  to  emerge  from  his 
chest  to  join  in  the  fray.  But  Snell  only  laughed.  "I  did 
not  know  whom  you  meant,"  he  said. 

"  Mr.  Burr,  we  are  informed,  has  lately  returned  to  Phil 
adelphia  after  a  voyage  through  the  West  and  down  the 
river  to  New  Orleans,"  said  Mr.  Madison,  perceiving  that 
Thwaite's  inquiry  left  an  effect  upon  the  aroused  expecta 
tions  of  the  company  that  must  be  countered. 

"You  say,  Mr.  Madison,  that  you  are  informed," 
repeated  Thwaite,  with  a  significant  emphasis  on  the  word. 
"  Are  we  to  infer  from  that  that  the  government  is  following 
the  movements  of  the  late  vice-president?" 

The  secretary  of  state  moved  uneasily  in  his  chair,  dis 
comfited  by  the  intrusiveness  of  the  question,  but  unwilling 
to  rebuke  the  man  he  desired  to  propitiate.  "I  can  scarcely 
understand  why  the  government  should,"  he  answered  eva 
sively. 

"I  did  not  know  but  that  it  might  be  considered  both 
proper  and  wise  on  the  part  of  the  government  to  watch  a 
man  who  has  repeatedly  expressed  his  contempt  for  the 
Constitution  and  the  Union,"  returned  Thwaite;  "whose 
friendship  with  Merry,  the  British  minister,  is  a  matter  of 
common  notoriety;  who  endeavored  by  a  trick  to  steal  the 
highest  office  under  the  government;  who  murders  his 
enemies;  and  who  even  now  returns  from  a  trip  the  sole 
purpose  of  which  was  to  prepare  for  a  coup  that  he  contem 
plates  against  the  integrity  of  the  government." 

"You  have  forgotten  to  mention  one  crime  in  your  list," 


THE   SECRETARY  HAS   GUESTS  265 

interrupted  Snell,  with  a  grin.  "You  have  forgotten  to  say 
that  he  refused  once  to  make  a  league  and  covenant  with 
New  England  Federalists."  The  thrust  was  a  savage  one, 
bearing  a  reference  to  a  transaction  projected  by  certain  of 
Thwaite's  own  school  of  Federalists  when  Burr  was  governor 
of  New  York,  by  which  they  hoped  to  bring  New  York  into 
a  confederation  of  Eastern  States  separate  from  the  Union. 

Thwaite,  pretending  to  ignore  the  interruption  —  the 
flush  of  anger  and  chagrin  on  his  cheeks  showed  with  how 
much  success  —  continued  to  Mr.  Madison.  "Perhaps  it 
is  because  the  President  would  hesitate  to  take  any  steps  in 
the  matter,  lest  his  actions  be  misconstrued  as  inspired  by 
spite  against  a  fallen  rival,"  he  sneered,  turning  his  anger 
into  irony,  for  which,  being  young,  he  had  zest. 

Silence  followed  his  words;  a  moment  of  anxious  sus 
pense,  for  he  struck  close  to  the  host  at  whose  table  he  sat 
when  he  twitted  the  President  with  a  jealous  fear  of  Burr. 
Madison,  laboring  for  a  space  with  confusion,  answered 
cautiously,  still  endeavoring  to  keep  the  New  Englander 
within  bounds  without  offending  him.  "It  would  have  been 
impossible  for  the  rumors  concerning  Mr.  Burr's  activities 
to  have  escaped  the  ears  of  those  in  authority,"  he  said, 
choosing  to  revert  to  the  first  part  of  Thwaite's  speech  and 
neglect  his  final  rudeness;  "but  no  official  cognizance  has 
been  accorded  them,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  say." 

"Do  you  mean  that  the  government  is  sitting  com 
placently  by  without  paying  any  attention  to  the  reports 
that  are  ringing  through  the  city?"  he  cried. 

Mr.  Madison  raised  his  eyes  to  meet  those  of  the  fiery 
young  Yankee.  "If  you  ask  me  whether  the  government 
is  allowing  itself  to  be  made  a  dupe,  I  shall  answer  no,"  he 
replied.  "If  you  ask  me  what  the  government  is  doing  in 
the  matter,  I  must  plead  the  high  privilege  of  my  office  in 
declining  to  tell  you,  Mr.  Thwaite." 


266 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


As  though  he  would  save  Thwaite  from  the  discomfiture 
of  facing  the  reproof  of  the  secretary  before  the  undivided 
attention  of  the  company,  Snell  ventured  at  this  point  upon 
a  question,  apparently  idle  and  only  by  way  of  creating  a 

diversion.  "  Mr. 
Thwaite,"  he 
asked,  "you 
say  that  Mr. 
Burr  has  been 
through  the 
South,  and  is 
even  now  in 
Philadelphia?" 
"I  am  so  in 
formed,"  he 
returned,  un 
consciously 
following  the 
words  of  Mr. 
Madison. 

"You  are  so 
informed,"  re 
joined  Snell,  in 
turn  mocking 
Thwaite'  s  rep 
etition  of  their 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON    (From  the  portrait'  by  Trumbull  in 
the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce) 


USC. 


prCVlOUS 

'  '  TV)  en        vmi 

really  did  not  need  to  ask  me  about  my  friend,  did  you,  if 
you  knew  he  was  in  Philadelphia,  and  not  in  hiding?" 

There  was  nothing  bitter  in  the  remark,  but  Thwaite 
winced  under  a  sense  of  being  discovered  in  a  disadvantage. 
"I  merely  wished  my  information  to  be  verified,"  he  ex 
plained. 


THE   SECRETARY  HAS   GUESTS 


267 


"A  very  good  custom  to  adopt,"  suggested  Snell.  "If 
you  would  follow  it  more  closely,  you  might  be  spared  the 
humiliation  of  making  ridiculous  and  outrageous  charges 
against  citizens  of  the  country  who  take  enough  interest  in 
their  land  to  travel  about  and  take  a  look  at  it.'7  There 
was  no  heat  or  malice  in  the  speech;  it  was  cold  and  dis 
passionate,  which  made  it  the  more  punishing. 

Dolly  Madison,  startled  by  the  look  that  came  into  the 
face  of  the  Federalist,  essayed  to  lead  the  talk  away.  "Mr. 


ALEXANDER  HAMILTON'S  TOMB  IN  TRINITY  CHURCHYARD,  NEW  YORK 

Burr  is  forgiven  much  by  me,"  she  said,  playfully,  "for  it 
was  through  him  that  I  first  met  Mr.  Madison,  in  Phila 
delphia,  when  Mr.  Madison  was  congressman  like  yourself, 
Mr.  Thwaite,"  but  the  beast  of  discord  would  not  be  made 
captive.  There  was  a  moment's  lull  in  which  the  voices 
of  the  women  chirruped  briskly,  as  they  hopped  about  the 
crumb  of  gossip  Dolly  Madison  had  let  fall,  but  with  a  lack 
of  spirit  strange  in  the  circumstances,  and  suggestive  of  the 
song  of  birds  that  have  returned  North  too  early  in  the  spring. 
It  was  the  senator  from  Massachusetts  who  destroyed  all 


268  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

hope  of  peace,  incidentally  tearing  into  shreds  an  elaborate 
skein  of  words  his  daughter  was  shuttling  into  the  unhearing 
ears  of  Cyril  Thwaite. 

"Mr.  Madison,"  he  said,  heavily,  "I  have  frequently 
marveled  at  the  gracious  spirit  of  our  President,  and 
admired  his  generosity  of  soul;  but  I  was  never  so  strongly 
impressed  with  his  magnanimity  as  I  have  been  this  after 
noon."  Pausing,  he  looked  significantly  at  Nicholas  Snell. 
"In  the  bigness  of  his  heart  he  finds  it  possible  to  entertain 
close  relations  of  confidence  with  one  who,  five  years  ago, 
was  actively  conspiring  against  his  high  interests,  and  who 
even  now  is  ready  to  make  a  defense  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  and 
the  country's  most  dangerous  enemy.  I  only  hope  his 
charity  does  not  wholly  obscure  his  wisdom." 

Snell,  to  the  great  relief  of  the  company,  wholly  ignored 
the  wanton  attack.  But  Thwaite,  smarting  with  his  hurts, 
irritated  beyond  control,  took  up  the  words  of  his  colleague 
to  turn  them  against  the  President,  always  a  fair  game  for 
his  school  of  Federalism.  "I  might  suggest,"  he  said, 
"that  Mr.  Jefferson  may  be  able  to  understand  a  change  of 
heart  in  the  faithful  that  would  be  quite  incomprehensible 
to  others,  having  exhibited  a  facility  in  readjusting  his  own 
principles  of  conduct  to  shifting  circumstance,  quite  out  of 
the  ordinary." 

"To  what  do  you  refer,  Mr.  Thwaite?"  asked  Secretary 
Madison,  displeased,  and  challenging  the  charge. 

Thwaite,  realizing  that  he  had  permitted  his  anger  against 
Snell  to  betray  him  into  an  act  of  unpardonable  rudeness 
toward  his  host,  answered  with  much  confusion  that  he 
had  in  mind  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  by  Jefferson  in  1803. 

The  purchase  of  the  territory  of  Louisiana  from  France 
was  the  most  important  act  of  Jefferson's  presidential  career. 
The  territory  extended  from  the  Gulf  to  British  America, 
and  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  That  it 


THE  SECRETARY  HAS   GUESTS  269 

must  prove  of  immense  intrinsic  value  was  foreseen  by 
public  men;  but  the  immediate  incentive  of  its  purchase 
was  its  strategic  importance. 

In  the  hands  of  Spain  it  had  more  than  once  threatened 
the  peace  between  the  two  countries;  for  the  settlers  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  in  Tennessee,  and  in  Kentucky  had  no 
other  outlet  than  New  Orleans.  In  1800  the  territory  was 
transferred  by  Spain  to  France.  Knowledge  of  the  transfer 


NAPOLEON,  EMPEROR  OF  THE  FRENCH 


270 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


BAS-RELIEF  FROM  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE  MONUMENT 

AT  SAINT  Louis  EXPOSITION,  SHOWING  MONROE, 

LIVINGSTON,     AND  MARBOIS   SIGNING  THE 

LOUISIANA  PURCHASE  TREATY 


came  to  America  in  1802,  accompanied  by  rumors  that 
Napoleon,  First  Consul,  had  dreams  of  colonization  which, 
if  realized,  would  be  fatal  to  Western 
development  and  dangerous  to  the 
peace  of  the  Eastern  States.  In 
the  following  year  Jefferson  sent 
James  Monroe  to  France  to 
negotiate  with  the  First  Consul 
for  its  purchase.  Fortunately 
for  the  success  of  his  plans 
Europe  was  about  the  ears 
of  the  French  Consul,  who 
had  meanwhile  become 
Emperor,  making  it 
necessary  for  him  to 
obtain  funds  at  the  mo 
ment,  and  he  consented  to 
part  with  his  American  possessions.  The  trade  was  made, 
the  United  States  paying  $15,000,000  for  the  inland  empire. 
There  was  a  great  outcry  against  the  transaction,  the 
Federalists  especially  maintaining  that  it  was  a  useless  ex 
travagance,  that  the  newly  acquired  territory  would  swamp 
the  nation,  and  that  there  was  no  warrant  in  the  Constitu 
tion  for  the  purchase.  The  last 
point  they  urged  with  peculiar 
relish,  for  Jefferson  had  found 
much  fault  with  the  Federal 
ists  in  times  past  for  failure 
to  abide  by  the  close  con 
struction  of  our  national 
charter.  Now  the  ta 
bles  were  turned. 

That  Jefferson  knew 
he    was    exceeding   his 


DESK  IN  THE  CABILDO  AT  NEW  ORLEANS  ON 

WHICH  THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE 

TREATY  WAS  SIGNED 


THE   SECRETARY  HAS   GUESTS  271 

constitutional  powers  when  he  acquired  Louisiana  is  made 
evident  by  his  communications  to  members  of  Congress 
with  the  treaty  of  purchase  was  being  considered.  "The 
less  that  is  said  about  any  constitutional  difficulty  the  bet 
ter,"  he  wrote.  "It  will  be  desirable  for  Congress  to  do 
what  is  necessary  in  silence."  And,  again:  "Whatever 
Congress  shall  consider  it  necessary  to  do,  should  be  done 
with  as  little  debate  as  possible,  particularly  so  as  respects 
the  constitutional  difficulty." 

It  was  this  delicate  ground  upon  which  Thwaite  had  in 
truded  with  the  secretary  of  state.  He  reproached  himself 
heartily  as  he  sat  looking  at  Mr.  Madison,  who  was  visibly 
annoyed.  Senator  Stevens  came  to  his  rescue. 

"An  apparent  inconsistency  may,  on  occasion,  be  not 
only  a  wise  course  but  one  peculiarly  courageous,"  he  said. 
"I  think  no  one  can  doubt,  now  that  the  territory  is  ours, 
that  our  country  will  derive  immense  benefit  from  it,  and  one 
that  should  justify  Mr.  Jefferson's  action.  Brought  face  to 
face  with  a  situation  presenting  for  his  choice  a  strict  adher 
ence  to  an  abstract,  dogmatic  doctrine  in  alternative  to  an 
act  of  statesmanship  and  hard  common  sense,  he  chose  the 
latter,  for  which  I  think  we  should  rather  praise  than  blame 
him.  The  doctrinnaire  succumbed  to  the  statesman." 

"I  am  quite  sure  that  I  shall  do  the  same  if  you  gentle 
men  do  not  cease  your  stupid  discussion,"  interposed  Dolly 
Madison,  beaming  upon  them,  having  found  herself  at  last. 
"It  may  seem  to  you  gentlemen  to  be  of  consequence 
whether  Mr.  Jefferson  followed  the  Constitution  or  not,  but 
let  me  assure  you  that  it  is  much  more  important  that  the 
ladies  should  be  entertained." 

There  was  a  laugh,  of  course,  and  some  gallant  apologies, 
the  company  finding  itself  much  relieved.  The  current  of 
conversation  ran  a  new  course,  breaking  up  among  the 
guests  into  little  channels  of  talk.  Thwaite  seized  the  oppor- 


272 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


tunity  to  sweep  Leonora  Stevens  into  an  eddy  with  himself; 
the  secretary  entered  into  a  deep  discussion  of  matters  of 
government  with  the  senator  from  Massachusetts;  Ruth 
Gardner  played  the  senator's  wife  in  the  riffles  of  capital 
small  talk,  while  Snell  conducted  Dolly  Madison  over  a 

rather  bois 
terous  narra 
tive  of  events 
in  the  Bar- 
bary  States, 
These  several 
currents  pres 
ently  winding 

f  |  i  ff*f      their  way  into 

a  quiet  pool 
of  casual 
silence,  the 
c  o  m  p  a  n  y 
found  them 
selves  listen 
ing  to  Snell, 
who  still 
rushed  on 
over  rocks 
and  gravel  in 
a  smother  of 
words.  "I 

was  just  telling  Mrs.  Madison  some  of  the  stories  I  heard 
from  the  officers  of  the  Enterprise,"  he  said  to  the  others, 
perceiving  that  they  all  overheard.  "She's  just  got  back 
from  the  Mediterranean.  And  by  the  way,  Miss  Ruth,"  he 
added,  "I  met  a  friend  of  yours  who  sent  a  message  to  you. 
He  was  a  sailor  on  the  Enterprise.  His  name  was  Morris- 
Dick  Morris." 


CELEBRATING    THE    LOUISIANA    PURCHASE,   DECEMBER 
1803     (From  the  painting  by  Thuhtrup) 


20, 


THE   SECRETARY   HAS   GUESTS 


273 


The  ladies,  observing  Ruth  with  polite  interest,  saw  a 
flush  of  color  rush  through  her  cheeks,  and  saw  her  hand 
tremble  for  an  instant  when  the  name  was  mentioned. 
"What  was  the  message?"  she  asked,  with  a  fine  show  of 
indifference,  knowing  the  eyes  of  the  women  were  fastened 
on  her. 

"Oh,  it  wasn't  much  of  a  message,"  Snell  returned, 
arresting  himself  in  the  act  of  draining  his  glass  to  make 
answer.  "He  only  asked  how  you  were  when  he  found  I 
knew  you,  and  wished  to  be  remembered  to  you." 

"Yes ?     That  was  thoughtful  of  him."     Not  one  of  those 
who  watched  her  for  further  sign  could 
discern  the  least  thing  in  her  tone  or  her 
manner.  The  current  of  talk  flowed  on, 
leaving  no  ripple  of  what  had  passed. 


THE  ENTRANCE  TO 
MONTICELLO 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  TRAVELER 

THE  city  of  Washington  was  not  a  pretty  place  in  the 
year  1806.     It  was  not  much  prettier  than  it  was  in 
1800,  when  the  capital  of  the  United  States  was  moved 
thither  from  Philadelphia.     Perhaps,  at  this  distance  of  time, 
it  would  not  be  a  sacrilege  to  say  that,  in  the  beginning,  it 

was  a  decidedly  unpleasant  place. 
Magnificent  buildings 
were  scattered  abruptly 
about  hills  covered  with 
trees  and  brush ;  between 
them  were  magnificent 
distances,  occupied  either 
with  more  forest  and 
brush,  or  marshes.  The 
magnificent  buildings 

THE  CITY  OF  WASHINGTON  ABOUT  1830  Were    raw,    with   an    effect 

about  them  of  being  naked.  Abigail  Adams  had  hung  the 
family  washing  to  dry  in  the  east  room  of  the  White  House. 
Residences  were  huts;  inhabitants  were  negroes  or  poor 
white  trash;  the  hotels  were  nothing,  or  worse.  If  it  had  not 
been  for  the  government  buildings  desecrating  the  primal 
wildness  it  would  have  been  a  beautiful  wilderness.  If  it  had 
not  been  for  the  wilderness,  men  of  vision  might  have  foreseen 
beauty  in  the  ragged  young  capital.  In  the  circumstances, 
the  city  of  Washington  in  the  beginning  was  somewhat  of  a 
wrench  against  the  laws  of  nature  concerning  cities. 

One  day  late  in  the  spring  of  1806,  Ruth  Gardner  went 
forth  through  this  wilderness  on  her  thoroughbred,  to  con- 

274 


THE  TRAVELER  275 

sider  certain  things.  Throughout  the  winter  her  heart  had 
been  as  bleak  and  dreary  as  the  drear  and  leafless  woods; 
but  now  she  felt  a  stirring  of  happiness  within,  just  as  the 
trees  felt  the  thrill  of  sap  through  their  branches  and  burst 
forth  gladly  into  leaf.  Since  the  day  when  Nicholas  Snell 
had  given  her  the  message  from  Richard  Morris  there  had 
existed  a  period  of  winter  in  her  heart.  She  had  not  known 
how  much  of  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  life  had  been 
derived  from  her  love  for  the  lad  with  whom  she  had  passed 
her  childhood;  she  had  not  learned  how  much  he  meant  to 
her.  So  the  distant  and  indifferent  message  he  sent  to  her 
through  Snell  had  been  like  a  frost  in  her  heart,  laying  it 
barren.  It  was  only  now,  with  the  spring,  that  she  felt  it 
might  be  possible  still  to  be  happy. 

Contentment  stole  over  her  as  she  rode  through  the  woods. 
Above  her  was  a  soft  mist  of  quivering  buds;  about  her  the 
birds  sang  with  throats  of  love;  beneath,  between  leaves  of 
grass,  violets  peeped  up  at  her.  The  warmth  of  the  sun 
stole  golden  through  the  leaflets  of  the  forest;  the  brushes 
were  fretted  lace- work  in  the  undershadows ;  the  world  was 
good,  and  life  worth  living. 

She  had  ridden  beyond  Georgetown,  seeking  seclusion 
and  the  beauties  of  the  wilderness.  In  the  distance  she 
could  hear  waterfalls  shouting  in  their  frolic.  She  paused, 
considering  whether  to  turn  toward  them  or  to  go  on.  As 
she  was  undecided,  she  heard  the  sound  of  a  horse  approach 
ing  along  the  road  from  the  west,  and  waited  to  see  who  the 
traveler  might  be. 

Presently  he  came  in  sight  among  the  trees,  and  a  fitting 
picture  he  made  in  such  a  scene.  His  dress  was  that  of  a 
frontiersman,  with  leather  jacket,  rough  shirt,  and  coonskin 
cap.  He  was  tall  and  slender;  his  carriage  suggested  supple 
strength.  He  was  mounted  on  an  animal  tall  and  slender 
and  suggestive  of  strength  like  himself.  By  the  mud  on 


276 


VALOR    &   VICTORY 


associa- 


them  both,  and   by  a  slight    droop  in  the   animal's    ears, 
Ruth  perceived  that  they  had  traveled  far. 

As  the  rider  came  closer,  her  attention,  attracted  by  the 
picturesque  appearance  of  the  man,  was  kindled  into  vivid 
interest  by  a  fancy  that  she  had  seen  him  before  —  that  he 
was  not  a  stranger,  but  one  who  had  already  been  in  her  life. 
As  she  ^fe  stared  at  him  puzzled,  trying  to  awaken  the 
tion  in  her  memory,  he  returned  her  look 
with  the  same  quizzical  expression. 

"How  do  you  do?"  asked  Ruth,  real 
izing,  with  some  embarrass 
ment,  that  she  was  gazing 
at  the  man  in  a  manner 
not  altogether  polite. 

"How   do   you   do, 
miss?"    he    returned, 
lifting  his  coonskin  cap 
with  natural  grace.    He 
drew  his  horse  up  at  a 
civil  distance. 

"You  have  traveled  far,"  said  the  girl,  searching  his  face 
for  memory. 

"Do  you  think  you  know  me?"  He  caught  the  look  in 
her  eye  and  added:  "I  think  I  have  known  you,  but  I  can 
not  recall  when  or  where.  My  name  is  Sylvester  Stevens, 
and  I  am  from  the  border." 

It  all  came  with  a  rush.  "Yes,"  she  cried,  "you  used 
to  come  to  a  house  in  Philadelphia  where  I  spent  much  time 
when  I  was  a  child.  One  day,  the  first  time  I  saw  you,  you 
helped  a  very  little  boy  who  was  fighting  a  very  big  man. 
I  am  the  little  girl  who  cried  so  hard  when  the  little  boy  was 
hurt;  my  name  is  Ruth  Gardner."  Ruth,  looking  narrowly 
at  him,  perceived  a  fixed  suggestion  of  sadness  in  his  face 
that  lay  behind  the  pleasure  he  showed  in  the  meeting,  and 


THE  FIRST  COURT-HOUSE  IN  SAINT  Louis  COUNTY, 
MISSOURI 


THE   TRAVELER 


277 


was  not  obscured  by  it,  like  the  trace  of  sorrow.  This,  and 
the  picture  the  man  made  in  the  woods,  awoke  her  romantic 
interest. 

Sylvester  Stevens  met  her  look  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
"It  is  a  long  time  ago,"  he  said  presently,  shaking  his 
head  reminis- 
cently. 

"And  many 
things  have  hap- 
pened  since 
then,"  Ruth  sug 
gested,  hoping, 
with  the  heart  of 
a  young  woman, 
that  he  would  tell 
her  his  sorrow; 
which  was  a 
beautifully  femi 
nine  inconsist 
ency,  for  she  had 
as  a  child  been  a 
witness  to  much 
of  the  drama. 

"Yes,"  he  an 
swered,  "much 
has  happened. 
Our  country  has 

grown    beyond    belief,    and    our   people 
nation." 

"But  you,"  she  insisted,  disappointed  and  a  little  piqued 
at  his  effort  to  lead  the  conversation  into  impersonality. 
He  might  at  least  have  shown  enough  civil  interest  to  inquire 
about  Margaret  and  Richard.  "What  has  happened  to 
you,  and  where  have  you  been?" 


THE   EMIGRANT 


(From  the  drawing  by   Freeland   A. 
Carter} 

have   become   a 


2?8 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


WILLIAM  CLARK  MERIWETHER  LEWIS 

THE  TRAIL- MAKERS  TO  THE  FAR  NORTHWEST     (From  the  portraits  by  Charles 

Wilson  Peale) 

"Little  has  happened  to  me,  although  I  have  traveled 
much,"  he  answered. 

"Tell  me." 

"What  would  you  have  me  tell  you?" 

"Of  your  travels." 

They  set  off  through  the  woods  on  the  way  she  had  come, 
side  by  side;  and  as  they  rode,  he  talked  to  her.  "I  have 
seen  wonders,"  he  said.  "I  have  been  across  this  continent 
with  Lewis  and  Clark.  I  have  seen  rivers  thousands  of 
miles  in  length;  great  plains,  wider  than  the  thirteen  States, 
swarming  with  buffalo  and  antelope;  mountains  stupendous 
and  rough  as  the  ruins  of  a  world;  deserts  flat  as  the  sea, 
silent  and  lonely  as  the  thought  of  eternity.  I  have  seen 


THE   TRAVELER 


279 


the  Western  coast,  luxuriant,  prolific.  I  have  been  with 
savages  to  whom  the  white  man  was  a  celestial  being.  I 
have  been  where  time  has  not  begun." 

Ruth  watched  him,  fascinated;  he  was  looking  afar  off, 
full  of  dreams. 

"Out  there,  for  a  month  at  a  time,  I  have  seen  no  one, 
traveling  through  the  canons  of  the  huge  Stony  Mountains," 
he  went  on.  "I  have  slept  in  a  cleft  of  rock  so  deep  that  its 
lips  seemed  to  meet  above  me,  where  my  path  and  bed  was 
a  ledge  you  might  span  with  your  hand.  Beneath  me  the 
mountain  torrents  roared  and  tore  at  the  primeval  rocks; 
from  the  cliffs  echoed  the  cries  of  wolf  and  fox  and  puma. 
I  have  met  and  passed  in  the  night  wild  animals  who  gave 
no  heed  to  me,  beyond  a  sniff  and  a  growl,  not  knowing  what 
manner  of  animal  I  was.  I  have  been  where  God  is  mighty, 
and  man  is  a  mite.  My  soul  has  stretched  itself  in  the  naked 
expanse,  and  now  I  am  ready  to  die."  He  had  forgotten 


A  MOUNTAIN  ROAD  THROUGH  OREGON 


28o  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

her;  that  much  she  could  tell  by  the  rapt  expression  of 
his  countenance,  by  the  light  in  his  melting  eyes. 

"But  now  I  have  come  back,  and  it  must  be  forgotten," 
he  said,  turning  to  her  presently  with  a  smile,  half  shame 
faced  and  apologetic.  "It  makes  the  frontier  to  which  I  am 
used  seem  tame  and  civilized,  to  have  been  where  I  have 
been." 

"I  am  afraid  I  do  not  know  as  much  about  this  expedi 
tion  as  I  should,"  said  Ruth,  with  genuine  interest.  "Tell 
me  more  about  it,  please." 

"It  was  an  expedition  of  discovery  and  exploration," 
Sylvester  began,  "made  at  the  suggestion  of  President  Jef 
ferson.  Meri wether  Lewis  and  William  Clark  were  placed 
at  the  head  of  it.  Lewis  was  a  captain  in  the  army.  Clark 
is  a  brother  of  George  Rogers  Clark,  who  captured  the 
British  outposts  in  the  West  during  the  Revolution.  These 
two  organized  a  small  force,  picking  men  from  the  ranks  of 
the  army  and  from  private  life;  but  privates  had  to  enlist, 
for  the  expedition  was  military. 

"I  was  lucky  enough  to  be  selected,  having  some  knowl 
edge  of  woodcraft  and  experience  with  the  Indians.  We 
were  forty-five  altogether,  in  three  boats.  We  set  out  in 
1804  from  Saint  Louis,  sailing  up  the  Missouri  River.  We 
spent  the  winter  in  the  Mandan  country,  where  Indians  of 
that  name  live  in  fixed  villages.  In  the  spring  we  continued 
up  the  river.  There  was  plenty  of  game,  and  a  few  Indians. 
We  had  no  trouble  with  the  savages,  who  were  for  the  most 
part  friendly.  We  came  at  last  to  three  streams  joining, 
which  we  named  the  Jefferson,  Madison,  and  Gallatin 
Rivers. 

"We  followed  the  Jefferson  until  we  could  go  no  higher. 
We  learned  that  we  were  near  the  headwaters  of  a  river  that 
ran  into  the  Pacific.  But  let  me  tell  you  how  we  learned  it. 
When  we  were  with  the  Mandans,  we  found  an  Indian 


THE  TRAVELER  283 

woman  who  had  been  stolen  from  the  mountain  tribes. 
We  called  her  the  Bird  Woman.  She  accompanied  us  on 
our  journey.  When  we  came  to  the  head  of  the  Jefferson, 
Lewis  went  looking  for  Indians  of  whom  we  could  inquire 
the  way.  The  savages  were  shy;  he  could  not  come  up  with 
any. 

"  Finally  he  discovered  a  woman  and  some  girls.  They 
expected  to  be  killed,  but  Lewis  convinced  them  that  he 
was  friendly.  Presently  their  men  returned,  and  were  pre 
vailed  upon  to  accompany  Lewis  back  to  the  river,  where 
our  canoes  were.  Would  you  believe  that  the  men  be 
longed  to  a  tribe  whose  chief  was  the  brother  of  the  Bird 
Woman  ? 

"From  there  we  journeyed  on  horses  until  we  came  to  a 
mighty  westward  river,  which  we  called  the  Columbia.  I 
shall  not  soon  forget  the  majestic  beauties  of  that  stream, 
as  we  floated  down  it  toward  the  sea.  The  Indians  along 
the  bank  were  such  thieves  that  the  company  did  not  remain 
there,  but  went  up  the  coast  to  find  a  better  wintering  place. 

"I  left  them  there,  to  take  word  back  to  the  President. 
I  made  such  haste  that  I  succeeded  in  crossing  the  mountains 
before  the  winter  set  in  too  severely,  spending  the  cold 
months  with  the  tribe  of  the  Bird  Woman.  With  the  first 
thaws  I  was  on  my  way.  I  got  this  horse  in  Saint  Louis; 
and  here  I  am." 

The  return  of  the  expedition  was  as  remarkably  success 
ful  as  the  journey  out.  The  party  reached  Saint  Louis  in 
September,  1806,  having  traveled  thousands  of  miles 
through  wholly  unknown  country,  exposed  to  wild  dangers 
and  hardships  among  savage  tribes,  with  the  loss  of  only 
one  man,  who  died  of  illness.  They  crossed  the  Rocky 
Mountains  twice,  discovered  waterways  extending  half 
across  the  continent,  found  a  way  to  the  Pacific,  and  illumi 
nated  a  dark  territory  with  the  light  of  exploration. 


284 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


Ruth  and  her  companion  fell  into  silence.  The  woods 
man  was  the  first  to  speak.  "You  have  not  told  me  how 
you  come  to  be  in  Washington?"  he  said,  supplementing 
his  inquiry  with  an  inclination  of  the  head  and  a  look  of 
fixed  interest. 

"My  mother  died  in  the  year  of  the  plague,"  she  an 
swered,  "and  my  father  soon  afterward.  He  was  a  dis 
tant  cousin  of  Mr.  Madison,  now  secretary  of  state,  who  was 
kind  enough  to  give  me  a  home,  where  I  am  very  happy  in 
deed,"  she  added,  as  though  the  fact  admitted  of  discussion 
and  needed  to  be  asseverated. 

"And  the  lad  —  the  boy  who  was  hurt?"  pursued  Syl 
vester  Stevens,  with 
a  wise  smile. 

"I  do  not  know 
much  about  him, 
except  that  he  is  a 
sailor,"  answered 
the  girl. 

If  she  had  been 
in  any  doubt  that 
the  man  had  the 
soul  of  a  poet,  un 
certainty  no  longer 
remained,  for  he 
comprehended  fully 
that  there  was  much 
behind  the  little  she 
told  him.  "Tell  me 
the  story,"  he  said 
gently. 

Ruth,  con 
scious  of  some 
mysterious  bond 


GRAND  VIEW  CANON,  WASHINGTON 


THE   TRAVELER 


285 


between  herself  and  this  man,  did  not  hesitate  to  open  her 
heart.  "You  have  guessed  it,"  she  said.  "There  is  a 
story  — or  there  was.  We  were  happy  together  as  children, 
and  we  thought  we  loved  one  another.  He  went  on  a  search 
for  his  father;  that  is  a  tale  I  cannot  tell.  He  was  at  sea 
for  many  years.  He  wrote  to  me,  I  suppose  as  often  as  he 
could,  but  not  as  often  as  I  would  have  had  him.  I  do 


A  LOG  RAFT  ON  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER 

not  blame  him  for  that,  however.     I  do  not  blame  him  for 
anything. 

"There  was  a  long  period  when  I  heard  nothing.  At 
the  end  of  it,  I  heard  again;  but  not  directly.  He  sent  a 
message  to  me  through  another.  He  had  just  returned 
from  a  long  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean;  he  wished  to  be 
remembered  to  me,  and  that  was  all.  I  cannot  blame  him 
for  having  found  that  he  had  outgrown  me;  he  had  seen 
much  of  the  world,  and  at  best  we  were  only  childhood 
lovers.  If  he  had  chosen  some  other  way  to  tell  me  than  by 
sending  a  message  through  this  other,  who  is  little  better  than 


286 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


a  stranger  — or  I  might 
say,  worse  than  a 
stranger  —  I  should 
have  been  glad." 

" Who  is  this  other?" 
demanded  Sylvester, 
sharply  spurred  by  a 
sudden  thought. 

"Nicholas  Snell. 
Why,"  the  girl  went  on, 
an  idea  flashing  into 
her  mind,  "he  is  the 
very  one  whom  Richard 
was  fighting  with  that 
first  night!" 

* '  Where  is  he  now  ?  I 
should  like  to  have  a  few 
questions  with  him." 

"I  ought  not  to  know, 
but  I  do  know  that  he 
is  in  New  Orleans,  on 
private  business  for  the 
President,  concerning 
Mr.  Burr." 

"Did  he  tell  you 
that  your  friend  sent 
messages  to  you  ? 
What  were  the  circum 
stances?" 

"Mr.  Snell  had  just 
been  down  to  meet  the 
Enterprise,  returning 
from  the  Mediterranean. 
He  came  back  and  said 


SACAJAWEA,  THE  BIRD  WOMAN 
(From  the  statue  in  City  Park,  Portland,  Oregon) 


THE   TRAVELER 


287 


he  had  seen  Richard,  and  delivered  the  message.     I  know 
Richard  was  on  the  boat." 

"Snell  is  a  rascal,  and  there  is  some  mischief  here.  I  do 
not  believe  what  he  told  you.  The  message  was  fraudulent. 
Snell  has  some  purpose  in  de 
ceiving  you." 

"I  have  thought  it  all  over, 
Mr.  Stevens,  and  I  am  sure  it 
must  be  true,"  Ruth  returned 
with  a  sad  smile.  "  Once  before 
Richard  came  back  from  a  long 
cruise  and  went  to  sea  again 
without  coming  to  see  me." 

"Did  he  give  any  reason  for 
it?" 

"Yes,  he  wrote  me  a  note  of 
explanation." 

"Was  the  reason  good?" 

"Yes,  it  was  plausible.  It 
was  sufficient,  if  true." 

"Do  you  know  what  you  are 
doing,  Miss  Gardner?"  ex 
claimed  Sylvester.  "You  are 
charging  this  young  fellow  with 
faithlessness,  with  cowardice  in 
the  manner  of  getting  rid  of  you, 
and  with  lying.  I  do  not  be 
lieve  he  is  that  kind  of  a  man. 
Do  you?" 

"Oh,  no,  no!  I  do  not 
think  that !  I  do  not  mean 
that!"  cried  the  girl.  "I 
only  mean  that  I  am  cer 
tain  he  has  grown  away 


PIERWEE  FALLS.  WASHINGTON 


288  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

from  me,  and  that  I  do  not  blame  him  for  it.  For  the 
rest,  I  suppose  he  thought  he  was  taking  the  way  that  would 
hurt  me  least." 

"Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  your  friend  might  have 
had  some  good  reason  for  not  seeing  you  before  he  went  to 
sea  once  more?  Did  it  never  seem  possible  to  you  that 
this  man  Snell  was  given  a  message  for  you  that  was  quite 
different  from  the  one  you  got?" 

"He  is  capable  of  it,"  said  the  girl,  eager  to  believe. 

"Has  it  never  been  as  long  as  six  months  between  your 
letters  from  him?  Could  it  not  be  true  that  he  might  not 
have  been  able  to  get  a  letter  to  you  since  last  fall?" 

"Yes,  yes!     It  might  well  be  a  year." 

"Do  you  not  think  it  might  be  well  for  you  to  wait  a  year 
before  dismissing  him  as  a  childish  lover  who  has  forgotten  ?" 

His  answer  was  a  flushing  of  her  cheeks,  a  blush  of 
shame  because  she  had  judged  her  lover. 

They  rode  in  silence.     She  it  was  who  broke  it  this  time. 

"Is  there  no  one  else  of  whom  you  would  inquire?" 
she  asked,  wistfully. 

"Is  there  one  of  whom  you  would  tell  me  anything?" 

"Margaret  Rutgers  has  been  here  with  her  husband, 
who  was  attached  to  the  minister's  staff,"  she  said,  softly. 
"They  have  gone  away  again.  I  believe  he  has  gone  into 
the  army.  I  do  not  think  she  is  happy;  but  she  is  brave." 

The  look  of  distance  came  into  his  eyes,  as  though  he 
saw  beyond  ^_^- — • ;  :  — -^^  the  world. 


CHAPTER  III 
SNELL   OBTAINS   A   REWARD 

SYLVESTER  STEVENS  did  not  remain  long  in 
Washington.  Ruth  saw  him  twice  before  his  de 
parture.  Once  he  came  to  dine  at  the  secretary's  house, 
and  once  he  called  to  see  her  and  bid  her  adieu.  She  found 
courage  from  him  to  be  happy  and  hope,  and  was  sorry  to 
see  him  go;  for  there  had  sprung  up  between  them  one  of 
those  friendships  that  seem  to  run  back  to  the  beginning  of 
time  and  to  spring  into  full-blooded  life  at  the  first  contact 
of  its  participants. 

The  summer  passed,  and  the  fall,  completing  the  year 
she  had  allowed  herself  to  hope.  There  was  no  word  from 
Richard  Morris,  direct  or  indirect.  There  were  times  in 
the  twelvemonth  when  she  was  on  the  point  of  setting  afoot 
an  investigation  of  the  story  Snell  had  told  her;  but  her 
femininity  prevented.  Probably  she  would  have  made  keen 
inquiry  of  the  bearer  of  the  message  himself,  after  her  talk 
with  Sylvester  Stevens,  if  he  had  been  in  Washington.  But 
he  was  not  there  when  the  frontiersman  first  whetted  her 
suspicions,  and  did  not  return  until  autumn.  By  that  time 
the  fight  was  wholly  her  own,  and  she  was  schooling  herself 
once  more  to  forget. 

The  year  of  1806  was  one  of  anxiety  for  her  kinsman, 
James  Madison,  and  for  President  Jefferson.  From  Janu 
ary  until  November  rumors  about  Burr's  conspiracy  to  divide 
the  Union  and  form  the  Western  States  into  a  confederacy 
came  to  the  ears  of  the  government  in  Washington;  rumors 
often  reaching  the  status  of  direct  charges  from  authori 
tative  sources.  In  January  Joseph  Hamilton  Daviess  of 

289 


2  go 


VALOR    &  VICTORY 


Frankfort,  Kentucky,  wrote  to  Jefferson  telling  him  that 
Burr  planned  to  seize  New  Orleans  with  an  armed  force, 
invade  Spanish  territory,  and  join  the  fruits  of  his  operations 
into  a  new  confederacy.  The  same  charges  he  reiterated 
through  the  spring,  without  result  and  without  response. 


THE  JUMEL  MANSION,  WEST  1620  STREET,  NEW  YORK:  WASHINGTON'S  HEAD 
QUARTERS,  BURR'S  HOME,  AND  THE  LAST  OF  THE  COLONIAL 
RESIDENCES  ON  MANHATTAN  ISLAND 

Burr  meanwhile  was  in  the  East,  part  of  the  time  at 
Washington  and  part  of  the  time  at  Philadelphia,  intriguing 
with  Merry,  the  British  minister,  and  with  Yrujo,  minister 
from  Spain.  Jonathan  Dayton,  Federalist  senator  from 
New  Jersey,  was  his  chief  partner  in  the  East.  Burr  sounded 
Commodore  Truxtun,  who  coldly  rebuffed  him,  and  Gen 
eral  William  Eaton,  who  revealed  his  secret  to  Jefferson. 
In  June  Merry  was  removed  by  his  King,  and  was  succeeded 
by  David  Montague  Erskine ;  in  July  Yrujo  was  told  by  his 
government  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  scheme.  Find 
ing  his  efforts  in  the  East  coming  to  nothing,  Burr  started 


SNELL    OBTAINS    A    REWARD 


291 


for  the  West  in  August,  being  preceded  thither  by  several 
of  the  leading  conspirators. 

On  his  way  West  he  digressed  from  Pittsburg  to  solicit 
Colonel  George  Morgan.  Morgan  not  only  repulsed  his 
subtle  advances,  but  also  informed  Jefferson  of  what  had 
passed,  reporting  that  Burr  had  said  the  West  would  be 
totally  divided  from  the  East  within  five  years,  had  stated 
why  it  would,  and  should,  come  to  that  pass,  and  had 
asserted  that  with  200  men  he  could  drive  Congress  into 
the  Potomac,  with  the  President  at  their  head. 

From  Pittsburg  Burr  went  down  to  the  Ohio  to  see  Blen- 
nerhasset,  an  Irishman  who  lived  in  melancholy  and  impe 
cunious  splendor  on  an  island  in  the  Ohio  River.  Blenner- 
hasset  warmed  to  the  cause,  and  undertook  to  direct  the 
forces  that  were  gathering  for  an  expedition  down  the  river, 
and  to  build  boats  for  the  voyage.  Leaving  Blennerhasset 
at  this  ^*~~!Z~r~~t*+*^  task,  Burr  went  into  Ken 


JOHN  MARSHALL'S  HOUSE,  RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA 


2Q2 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


Tennessee,  where  he  was  well  received,  winning  the  con 
fidence  of  Andrew  Jackson,  among  others,  by  his  personal 
charm  and  the  plausible  story  he  told.  Burr  and  his 
colleagues  having  purchased  the  Bastrop  grant 
on  the  Washita,  made  the  pretext  that  the  pur 
pose  of  the  expedition  was  not  more  serious 
than  to  colonize  the  newly  acquired  land, 
some  thirty  miles  square. 

At  about  this  time  Daviess,  growing 
impatient  at  the  lack  of  action  by  the 
President,  founded  the  Western 
World  at  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  and 
commenced  the  publication  of 
the  story,  making  charges  against 
Burr,  with  whom  he  implicated 
General  James  Wilkinson.  General 
Wilkinson  was  commander  of  the 
American  army,  situated  at  New7 
Orleans.  At  one  time  he  had  been 
a  pensioner  of  Spain,  that  government  having  hoped  to 
alienate  the  Western  States  from  the  Union. 

In  spite  of  these  public  attacks,  Burr  was  making  progress 
with  his  scheme.  Men  were  enlisting,  arms  were  being 
procured,  and  provisions  gathered  together.  The  attitude 
of  the  people  of  Kentucky  was  disclosed  when  Daviess  took 
it  upon  himself  to  bring  Burr  into  court  to  answer  to  charges, 
Henry  Clay  acting  as  his  attorney.  The  court  and  the 
people  were  partisan  to  the  accused;  the  chief  witness  ran 
away,  and  the  case  fell  flat,  to  the  frankly  expressed  delight 
of  the  populace.  Twice  this  happened,  Burr  emerging  from 
the  second  incident  in  triumph. 

Jefferson  and  his  cabinet  were  aware  of  all  that  went  on, 
in  a  general  way  if  not  in  detail.  It  was  not  a  lack  of  con 
fidence  in  their  informers  or  a  failure  to  appreciate  the 


ANDREW  JACKSON     (From  the 
portrait  by  Jarvis) 


SNELL    OBTAINS    A    REWARD 


293 


dangers  of  the  situation  that  led  to  a  delay  in  acting  against 
the  conspiracy.  It  was  rather  uncertain  regarding  the 
course  to  be  pursued.  There  were  many  meetings  of  the 
cabinet,  and  many  discussions  of  plans.  At  last  John 
Graham  was  dispatched  to  New  Orleans,  with  instructions 
to  notify  the  governors  of  the  States  through  which  he 
passed  to  be  on  their  guard  against  Burr.  Graham  reached 
Kentucky  when  Daviess  was  acting  on  his  own  responsi 
bility,  and  found  the  wind  taken  out  of  his  sails. 

Jefferson,  before  taking  final  steps,  was  waiting  to  hear 
the  truth  concerning  Wilkinson,  and  his  complicity  with 
Burr.  The  general  was  a  notorious  intriguer;  the  charges 
against  him  had  intrinsic  probabilities  in  their  favor;  but 
the  Chief  Magistrate  wished  to  be  sure.  Early  in  the  year 
he  had  sent  Nicholas  Snell,  handy  man  and  confidential 
agent,  to  investigate  in  his  own  inimitable  way.  Now  the 
fall  had  come,  and  with  it  Snell. 

On  a  night  in  November  the  President  called  his  cabinet 
together.  James  Madison,  the  first  to  respond,  found 
him  in  his  office,  wearing  an  expression  of  assurance  and 


EARLY  NEW  ORLEANS 


294 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


satisfaction  that  had  been  a  stranger  to  his  face  for  many 
weeks. 

"Mr.  Madison,"  he  said,  leaning  across  the  table  toward 
the  secretary  of  state,  "you  were  not  friendly  toward  my 
proposal  when  I  sent  Snell  to  New  Orleans  to  make  private 

investigations  of  General  Wilkinson's 
position  in  this  serious  matter." 
Mr.  Madison  conceded  that 
he  had    entertained   some 
doubt  of  the  wisdom  of 
the    act,   more   because 
of  a  lack  of  confidence 
in  the  messenger  than 
for  any  other  reason. 
"I  am  certain  that  you 
will  be  gratified  to  learn 
that  I  have  been  vindi 
cated,"  Jefferson  went  on. 
"Mr.    Snell    has    returned 
with  a  message  from  General 
Wilkinson    that    at    once   must 
remove  all  suspicion  of  the  man 
himself   from    your   mind,   and 
make  obvious  our  course  in  the  premises." 

Madison  was  on  the  point  of  assuring  his  chief  of  his 
pleasure  in  the  news,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival 
of  Snell  himself,  closely  followed  by  the  secretaries.  What 
Snell  told  them  was  enlightening  and  interesting;  but  not 
nearly  as  enlightening  and  interesting  as  certain  things  that 
he  did  not  tell  them.  What  he  told  them,  in  addition  to 
much  that  has  already  been  narrated,  was  that  Burr  and 
Wilkinson  had  been  in  consultation,  at  New  Orleans  and 
at  Saint  Louis,  about  some  plan  that  Burr  intimated  he  was 
considering;  that  letters  had  passed  between  them  after- 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  JOHN  MARSHALL 
(From  an  old  miniature) 


SNELL    OBTAINS    A    REWARD  295 

ward;  that  Wilkinson,  receiving  one  such  communication 
when  on  the  Natchitoches  River  with  his  forces,  whither  he 
had  gone  to  watch  a  body  of  Spanish  troops  marching  about 
Texas,  obtained  from  it  a  first  intimation  of  the  true  signi 
ficance  of  Burr's  plans;  that  upon  receipt  of  it  he  had  sent 
Snell  himself  back  to  Wash 
ington  with  a  letter  informing 
the  President. 

The  letter  from  Burr  to 
Wilkinson,  written  in  July, 
was  full  of  misstatements  that 
could  not  have  been  other 
wise  than  intentional.  He 
assured  the  general  that  all 
was  in  readiness ;  that  troops 
had  been  enlisted ;  that  Eng 
land  would  furnish  the  naval 
force ;  that  Commodore  Trux- 
tun  was  going  to  Jamaica  to 
cooperate  with  the  British 
admiral  at  that  point;  that  LUTHER  MARTIN 

about  500  men  would  be  ready  to  start  from  the  falls 
of  the  Ohio  on  November  15;  that  they  would  reach 
Natchez  about  December  5,  and  that  he  expected  Wil 
kinson  to  meet  him  there.  Wilkinson  did  not  believe 
what  the  letter  told  him,  and  sent  information  to  Jefferson, 
stating  that  an  expedition  was  forming  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  that  was  directed  against  Vera  Cruz,  but  dis 
claiming  knowledge  who  was  at  the  head  of  it. 

What  Snell  did  not  tell  the  council  of  the  cabinet  was 
quite  as  extended  as  what  he  did  tell  them.  He  did  not  tell 
that  Wilkinson  and  Burr  had  come  to  a  complete  under 
standing  over  the  working  out  of  the  plans;  that  Wilkinson 
was  to  be  commander  of  the  armies  of  the  new  confederation; 


296  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

that  he  was  to  use  his  American  troops  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  scheme;  that  he  turned  informer  at  the  last  only  be 
cause  he  mistrusted  Burr  and  feared  for  the  final  outcome 
of  the  conspiracy.  Neither  did  Snell  tell  that  he  himself, 
sent  as  a  confidential  agent  by  President  Jefferson,  was  then 
and  had  been  one  of  the  conspirators,  and  that  he  too  had 
come  back  into  the  fold  only  when  he  assured  himself  that 
Burr  would  not  succeed  in  the  undertaking.  Snell  came  so 
far  from  telling  this  part  of  the  episode  that  he  continued  to 
rise  in  the  esteem  of  James  Madison  throughout  the  colloquy, 
emerging  from  it  as  a  hero  and  an  honest  patriot, —  a  cir 
cumstance  that  must  have  been  sufficiently  amusing  to 
Snell,  who  was  not  without  a  sense  of  humor. 

The  cabinet  was  not  slow  to  act  with  this  last  accumu 
lation  of  evidence  in  their  hands.  A  proclamation  was 
issued,  declaring  that  certain  persons  were  engaged  in  an 
illegal  conspiracy  against  Spain,  instructing  all  civil  and 
military  officials  to  seize  and  hold  persons  and  property 
concerned  in  the  plot,  and  calling  on  the  governors  of  Ohio 
and  Kentucky,  and  on  Andrew  Jackson,  for  help  in  inter 
cepting  the  conspirators.  The  name  of  Burr  was  not 
specifically  mentioned  in  the  proclamation. 

When  the  proclamation  reached  Ohio  the  governor 
seized  some  of  the  boats  then  building  at  Marietta,  and 
Blennerhasset  fled  down  the  river  with  a  few  armed  followers. 
Burr  himself  was  on  his  way  to  Nashville,  where  he  found 
it  necessary  to  explain  matters  to  Andrew  Jackson.  This 
he  did  so  skillfully  that  although  the  proclamation  signed 
by  the  President  reached  Nashville  when  Burr  was  still 
there,  Jackson  suffered  him  to  leave  without  hindrance. 

Meanwhile,  Wilkinson,  having  determined  which  side 
it  would  be  most  wholesome  for  him  to  take  in  the  affair, 
was  busying  himself  to  make  abortive  the  plans  he  had  until 
recently  fostered  and  abetted.  He  prepared  the  forts  along 


SNELL    OBTAINS    A    REWARD  299 

the  Mississippi,  alarmed  New  Orleans,  organized  militia 
there,  placed  an  embargo  on  the  port  to  hold  sailors  at  home 
for  purposes  of  defense,  seized  Bollmann,  Swartwout,  and 
Ogden,  three  conspirators,  smuggled  Bollmann  and  Swart 
wout  north  by  sea,  defied  the  courts  that  endeavored  to 
liberate  Ogden  on  habeas  corpus,  and  placed  the  city  vir 
tually  under  martial  law. 

Burr,  leaving  Nashville  in  some  haste  after  the  arrival 
of  the  proclamation,  joined  Blennerhasset  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Cumberland,  and  the  two  floated  down  the  river  toward 
the  South,  accompanied  by  200  men  in  thirteen  flat-boats. 
That  was  the  expedition  that  was  intended  to  sever  the 
Western  States  from  the  Union,  overrun  Spanish  territory, 
and  establish  a  new  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  with 
Burr  at  its  head. 

Reaching  Natchez,  Burr,  inquiring  for  news,  was  given 
a  copy  of  the  New  Orleans  Moniteur  containing  his  letter  of 
July  to  Wilkinson.  Wilkinson  had  published  it  to  justify 
his  arrest  of  Bollmann  on  a  charge  of  treason.  The  game 
was  up.  Burr  fled  across  the  river,  presently  surrendering 
to  Cowles  Mead,  secretary  and  acting  governor  of  Mississippi. 
Through  technicalities  the  charges  fell  flat,  but  he  was  still 
held  on  his  recognizance.  Alarmed  for  his  safety,  he  fled 
into  hiding  in  the  woods,  whence  he  presently  went  toward 
the  Spanish  frontiers,  disguised  as  a  boatman.  The  disguise 
was  penetrated,  however,  and  on  February  19  he  was  ar 
rested  by  Lieutenant  Gaines  of  Fort  Stoddart,  a  few  miles 
from  his  destination,  and  safety. 

Followed  the  trial  of  Burr  and  his  fellow-conspirators 
for  treason.  In  the  beginning,  the  senate  suspended  the 
right  of  habeas  corpus  in  certain  cases  for  three  months. 
The  house  refusing  to  pass  the  bill,  the  cases  against  Boll 
mann,  Swartwout,  and  Ogden  were  dismissed.  Burr  was 
brought  to  Richmond  and  placed  on  trial  before  Chief  Jus- 


300 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


tice  Marshall.  Never  was  there  such  a  trial.  From  all 
over  the  country  came  men,  great  and  small,  to  testify  or 
to  listen.  The  public  was  frantic  in  its  championship  of 
Burr;  each  day,  in  his  apartments  in  the  penitentiary,  he 
held  levees  which  put  the  most  brilliant  assemblages  of  the 
President  to  shame.  It  was  a  holiday  in  Richmond  —  a 
spectacle. 

Luther  Martin  was  chief  counsel  for  Burr.  The  legal 
talent  on  the  two  sides  of  the  case  comprised  the  most 
famous  men  of  the  time:  Edmund  Randolph,  Charles  Lee, 
William  Wirt.  The  fight  was  keen  and  bitter.  Jefferson 
was  subpoenaed,  but  refused  to  appear.  His  wrath  against 
Burr,  and  the  prisoner's  reception  at  the  hands  of  the  people, 
led  him  into  indiscretions.  He  begged  that  Luther  Martin, 
the  "Federal  Bulldog,"  might  be  charged  with  misprision 
of  treason  because  of  his  manner  of  conducting  the  case. 

Burr  escaped  punishment  on  a  point  raised  and  skillfully 
insisted  upon  by  his  attorneys, —  the  point  that  he  could  not 
be  charged  with  any  overt  act  of  treason  because  he  was  not 
present  when  the  expedition  set  out  from  Blennerhasset's 
Island,  the  Constitution  -^^1^  defining  treason  in  such 
a  way  that  he  must  ^m  d^^»  have  been 
present  when  the  Wjjm  ^****i^  exPe" 

dition 


BURR'S  PRISON  IN  RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA 


SNELL    OBTAINS    A    REWARD 


301 


set  out  to  have  rendered  himself  a  party  to  the  treason. 
The  reason  satisfied  Justice  Marshall;  he  ruled  out  the 
evidence  against  Burr  as  irrelevant;  the  case  went  to  the 
jury ,  and  Burr  was  acquitted. 
Although  he  was  acquit 
ted,  Burr  was  ruined  and 
discredited.  For  four  years 
he  traveled  through  Europe, 
wearing  out  his  welcome  in 
the  capitals  there.  When  the 
storm  he  brewed  had  blown 
over,  he  returned  to  America 
and  practiced  law  in  New 
York,  a  rather  obscure  man 
with  few  friends  and  fewer 
enemies,  until  1836,  when  he 
died.  Some  happiness,  how 
ever,  came  into  his  last  years, 
through  his  marriage  with 
Madam  Jumel,  who  long 

Survived  him.      With  the  ex-    BANNER'S  HOTEL,  NEW  YORK,  IN  WHICH 

ception  of  Benedict  Arnold,  BuRR  DlED 

there  is  no  man  in  American  history  about  whom  more 
vicious  things  have  been  said.  He  does  not  fully  merit 
the  obloquy  posterity  has  placed  on  him.  He  was  a  man 
purely  selfish  in  his  ambitions,  without  ideals  or  reverence ; 
with  no  high  regard  for  the  things  that  are  held  worthy  in 
this  world;  a  man  whose  genius  was  too  strong  for  the 
restraints  which  his  abortive  conscience  placed  upon  it,  a 
victim  of  his  own  unmorality. 

Blennerhasset,  wrecked  in  the  adventure,  died  in  miser 
able  poverty  in  Europe.  Swartwout  lived  to  be  made  col 
lector  of  the  port  of  New  York,  where  he  stole  a  million 
from  the  government  by  way  of  expressing  his  appreciation 


302 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


of  being  considered  honest.  Dayton  and  Ogden  sank  into, 
the  whirlpool  of  excitement,  and  were  seen  no  more.  Boll- 
mann  found  London  congenial.  The  minor  conspirators 
readjusted  themselves,  and  were  forgotten. 

Two  men  rose  high  on  the  tide  of  this  event.     One  of 
them  was  Wilkinson,  whose  betrayal  of  Burr  found  him 


THE  TOMB   OF   AARON   BURR,  VICE-PRESIDENT  OF  THE    UNITED  STATES,  AT 
PRINCETON,  NEW  JERSEY 

much  favor  with  Jefferson.  He  was  tried  before  a  packed 
court-martial  and  cleared  of  all  stain  by  a  coat  of  whitewash, 
after  a  fashion  still  alive,  and  forever  after  continued  to  pose 
as  an  honest  man,  leaving  behind  him  on  his  death  three 
volumes  of  memoirs  to  bear  out  his  pretensions,  which  are 
as  false  as  any  ever  written  by  man. 

The  other  who  benefited  largely  was  Nicholas  Snell. 
The  whole  affair  was  one  to  his  liking,  and  he  made  the  most 
of  it.  There  was  nothing  he  had  ever  done  or  said  or  written 
that  could  be  produced  against  him.  Only  Burr  and  Wil- 


SNELL    OBTAINS   A    REWARD  303 

kinson  knew  how  closely  he  was  involved  in  the  workings 
of  the  plot.  Wilkinson  did  not  care  to  divulge  the  secret, 
and  Burr  kept  silence,  being  convinced  to  the  last  that  Snell 
was  friendly  toward  him  and  was  exercising  his  peculiar 
talents  in  his  behalf. 

Perhaps  he  was;   but  he  so  contrived  that  he  appeared 
in  the  eyes  of  Thomas  Jefferson  as  a 
spirit  of  truth  and  holy  vengeance , 
howbeit  he  worked  rather  quietly, 
after    the    manner    of    spirits. 
There  was  little  he  could  do  in 
the  case;  there  was  little  he 
cared  to  do,  beyond  making 
it  appear  that  he  was  doing 
much.     How    well  he  suc 
ceeded  may  be  inferred  from 
what  follows. 

One  night  late  in  August, 
1807,  Nicholas  Snell  entered 
the  office  of   James   MadisonJ 
The    ostensible  reason   for  the 
interview  was  to  inform  the  sec-' 
retary  of  state  of  the  result  of 
journey  Snell    had    just    made    to 
New    York,   where    he    had    seen     ROBERTF^ '(From the 
Robert  Fulton's  Clermont  begin  her      portrait  by  Benjamin  West) 
voyage  of  150  miles  to  Albany,  accomplishing  the  feat  in 
thirty-two    hours.      Robert  R.  Livingston  had  long  been 
interested    in    steam  navigation,  and  had  himself  built  a 
steamboat  on  the  Hudson,  which  would  not  work.     But 
when  Jefferson  sent  him  as  minister  to  France  in  1801,  he 
met  Fulton,  who  was  trying  to  interest  Napoleon  in  his  new 
device.     Livingston  understood  the  value  of  the  invention 
far  better  than  the  First  Consul,  and  persuaded  the  inventor 


304 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


to  return  to  his  native  land.  Together  the  partners  had 
just  now  won  a  monopoly  of  the  right  to  use  steamboats 
in  New  York  waters  for  twenty  years,  and  had  begun  a 
new  era  in  the  world's  development. 

After  some  dicussion  of  this  notable  event,  Snell  asked 
permission  to  bring  forward  a  personal  matter,  and  when 
it  was  granted,  went  on  to  speak,  with  some  embarrass 
ment.      "I    approach   the    subject    I    have  come   to  talk 
to  you  about  with  great  reluctance  and  hesitation,"    he 
said,  fumbling  his  hat  and  looking  at  the  rug  to  corrob 
orate   his  testimony.      "I   realize    the    delicacy  that    sur 
rounds   it  under 
the   best   of  cir 
cumstances,  and 
I  realize  the  dis 
advantages  under 
which  I  labor.    I 
am  a  man  some 
what     spent     in 
years,  Mr.  Mad 
ison,     and     one 
who,  through  not 
giving    his    own 
interests   suffi 
cient     attention, 
has  not  reached 
any    position    of 
importance  in  the 
world." 

Mr.  Madison 
hastened  to  reas 
sure  him,  Snell 
pausing  to  afford 
him  the  chance. 

ROBERT  R.  LIVINGSTON 


SNELL    OBTAINS    A    REWARD  305 

"  Thank    you,    Mr.    Madison.     What  A 
you  say  gives  me  great  courage  and  hap 
piness.     I   shall  be  brief,   and  come  to 
the  point,  sir.     What  I  wish  to  speak  to 
you  about  is  a  point  that  is  close  to  both 
of  us.     I  may  make  bold  in  asserting 
that  it  is  close  to  me,  but  if  an  affec 
tionate  heart  and  a  devoted  soul 
are  enough,  then  I  am  entitled  to 
the  privilege.     Mr.   Madison,  I 
am  in  love  with  your  ward,  with 
Miss  Ruth.      I  know  what  you 
will  say.     You  will  object  to  my 
position  in  life,  to  my  years,  to 
my  standing  in  society.      I  grant 
you  that  your  ground  will  be   well 
taken.     I  am  poor;    I  am  older  than 
she  by  many  years;    I  am  obscure.    THE  To^^^RT  FuLTON  IN 

But  if  Strength  and  purity  of  affection     TRINITY  CHURCHYARD,  NEW  YORK 

weigh  at  all,  if  past  services  can  be  permitted  to  recom 
mend  me,  I  shall  ask  for  your  indulgence;  I  shall  ask  you 
to  let  me  make  my  addresses  to  your  ward." 

James  Madison  was  silent  for  a  moment.  He  drummed 
his  fingers  on  the  table ;  he  cleared  his  throat ;  he  looked  into 
the  far  corners  of  the  room.  "You  have  proved  yourself 
worthy  of  my  consideration,  sir,  and  hers,"  he  answered, 
presently.  "I  shall  not  say  that  I  would  not  have  been 
better  pleased  if  this,  ah — situation  had  not  developed. 
I  do  not  mean  that  I  withhold  from  you  any  of  my  respect  or 
regard.  On  the  contrary,  it  gives  me  anxiety  lest  your 
merits  fail  to  meet  with  their  deserved  favor  from  my  ward. 
She  is  young,  you  must  remember,  and  youth  will  have  its 
romance.  Have  you  any  assurance  of  success,  Mr.  Snell?" 

"Sir,"  replied  Mr.  Snell,  "I  have  no  assurance  whatever: 


306 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


nor  would  I  seek  any  before  I  spoke  of  the  matter  with  you. 
On  that  point  I  am  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  all  who  play 
a  game  for  heavy  stakes,  and  if  my  suit  can  have  your 
approval  I  shall  be  satisfied  to  have  made  the  trial,  what 
ever  the  results  may  be." 

"Mr.  Snell,"  rejoined  the  secretary,  rising  and  extending 
his  hand  to  the  other,  "you  have  my  complete  permission, 
and  I  wish  you  every  success;  but  you  will  understand,  of 
course,  that  I  can  go  no  further." 

"Sir,"  Snell  answered,  "if  I  cannot  win  the  heart  and 
hand  of  Ruth  on  such  merits  as  I  may  be  able  to  present  to 
her  consideration,  I  should  consider  myself  unworthy,  and 
would  not  have  her  love  on  any  other  basis."  With  which 
noble  sentiment  Snell  concluded  the  dialogue,  and  left  the 
room  to  seek  Ruth. 


THE  OLDEST  STEAMBOAT  IN  THE  WORLD  IN  COMMISSION,  NOW  RUNNING  FROM 

TROY,  NEW  YORK 


CHAPTER  IV 
RUTH   LEARNS   ARITHMETIC 

A  LTHOUGH  Ruth  Gardner  taught  herself  to  think 
IJL  of  Richard  Morris  as  nothing  more  than  a  dream  of 
childhood  too  long  clung  to,  and  smoothed  him  out  of  her 
heart  when  the  year  went  by  without  a  word  from  him,  she 
did  not  by  that  process  reduce  herself  to  a  condition  of  mind 
that  was  receptive  to  the  advances  of  Nicholas  Snell.  In 
the  beginning  she  was  rather  amused  at  his  stupidity  in 
paying  court  to  her;  presently  she  was  annoyed  at  his 
audacity;  in  the  end  she  was  angered  by  his  persistency. 

This  she  told  him  on  a  day  when  it  seemed  best  to  do  so, 
laying  some  stress  on  his  age  and  worldly  condition  in  the 
process,  and  making  other  points  against  him  that  were 
wholly  irrelevant  to  her  reasons  for  disliking  him.  Snell, 
deeply  hurt,  accepted  the  blow  humbly  and  forgivingly. 
Believing  that  was  the  end  of  it,  Ruth  dismissed  him  from 
her  mind  as  completely  as  she  had  from  her  presence. 

Snell  gave  every  sign  of  having  abandoned  his  vaulting 
ambition,  and  of  having  cured  himself  of  whatever  infatu 
ation  might  once  have  disturbed  the  bachelor  tenor  of  his 
ways.  But  he  did  not  permit  his  failure  with  Ruth  to  inter 
fere  with  his  progress  with  James  Madison,  her  guardian. 
Madison,  elected  to  succeed  Jefferson  in  1808,  did  not  forget 
or  fail  him.  Snell  found  himself  comfortably  billeted  during 
the  first  term,  with  freedom  to  come  and  go  at  the  White 
House,  and  with  opportunity  to  learn  many  things  in  the 
day's  work  with  which  he  had  no  concern.  In  1812,  when 
Madison  was  elected  for  the  second  time,  he  obtained  at  his 
own  request  an  appointment  in  the  navy  department. 

307 


3o8 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Many  things  had  happened  in  the  few  years  in  which 
Snell  was  making  such  material  progress,  events  of  grave 
historical  consequence  to  this  country.  From  the  beginning 
of  our  nationality,  England  had  bullied  us  in  a  commercial 
way,  fighting  in  trade  when  she  could  no  longer  fight  in  open 
war.  Her  behavior  toward  us  was,  for  the  most  part,  inci 
dental  to  her 
general  pol 
icy  of  helping 
herself  to  the 
world's  busi 
ness  by  hurt- 
i  n  g  her 
ne  ighbors 
and  rivals  in 
it ;  although 
toward  us 
there  was  a 
seasoning  of 
chagrin  and 
anger.  Her 
Orders  in 

Council  placed  prohibitive  restrictions  on  American  vessels 
trading  with  English  possessions;  there  were  rules  and 
regulations  about  flags  and  bottoms  that  hurt  in  more 
ways  than  one ;  there  was  every  device  and  practice  which 
a  shrewd  race  could  think  of  to  keep  England  up,  and 
America  down. 

The  most  unbearable  practice  of  England  from  a  moral 
point  of  view,  although  not  the  one  that  caused  the  greatest 
indignation  among  merchants  and  statesmen,  was  the  right 
of  search,  claimed  and  maintained  by  England  through 
many  weary,  bitter  years.  England  held  that  any  man  who 
had  ever  been  a  subject  of  the  English  Crown  was  always  a 


IMPRESSING  AMERICAN  SEAMEN  FROM  THE  "  CHESAPEAKE  : 


RUTH  LEARNS  ARITHMETIC 


309 


subject,  and  therefore  liable  to  service  in  the  British  navy. 
Urging  this  principle  of  international  law,   her  war-ships 
habitually  overhauled  American  merchantmen  and  searched 
the  crews  for  Englishmen.     It  was  a  notorious  fact  that  the 
question  of  nationality  was  secondary  to  the  need  for  more 
men  on  the  searching  vessel,  and 
to  the  ablebodiedness  of  sea 
men  under  scrutiny. 

The  most  flagrant  and 
intolerable  instance  of  the 
exercise  of  this  asserted 
right  was  the  Leopard- 
Chesapeake  affair.  In 
June,  1807,  the  frigate 
Chesapeake,  setting  sail 
for  the  Mediterranean 
to  relieve  the  Constitu 
tion,  was  overhauled  by 
the  Leopard,  whose  offi 
cers  insisted  on  searching 
the  crew  for  English  de 
serters.  Commodore  Barren, 
commanding  the  Chesapeake, 
would  not  suffer  it;  whereupon  the  Leopard  opened  fire. 
The  Chesapeake  was  not  ready  for  a  fight;  her  decks 
were  lumbered  with  stores,  ammunition,  and  heavy  guns 
that  had  not  yet  been  mounted,  and  powder,  balls,  and 
matches,  were  in  inextricable  confusion.  It  was  twenty 
minutes  before  a  gun  could  be  fired  in  response;  that  one 
was  fired  by  using  a  live  coal  brought  from  the  galley  in 
the  naked  hands  of  Lieutenant  William  Henry  Allen;  and 
was  fired  just  in  time.  The  next  moment  the  flag  came  down 
and  the  Chesapeake,  with  two  masts  gone,  with  two  men 
killed  and  several  wounded,  surrendered  to  a  British  ship- 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  HENRY  CLAY,  HANOVER 
COUNTY,  VIRGINIA 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


of-war.  The  Leopard's  officers  came  aboard,  took  off  four 
men,  and  went  their  way,  leaving  the  Chesapeake  to  limp 
back  into  Hampton  Roads  with  pumps  working  and  water 
rising  in  her  hold. 

Still  there  was  no  war.  Jefferson,  taking  up  the  weap 
ons  with  which  England  was  fighting,  induced  Congress  to 

lay  an  embar 
go,  by  which  he 
thought  to  crip 
ple  England 
and  bring  her 
to  terms.  The 
second  edge  of 
the  weapon  cut 
deeper  than  the 
first;  our  mer 
chant  marine 
has  never  en 
tirely  recovered 
from  the  blow 
struck  at  it  in 
the  Long  Em 
bargo.  In  New 
England,  towns 
that  had  been 

JOHN  C.  CALHOUN     (From  the  drawing  by  J.  B.  Longacre)       .      .     .  , 

thriving    and 

full  of  business  died  away  until  grass  grew  in  their  streets, 
and  useless  ships  rotted  at  moss- covered  wharves. 

So  it  went,  England  bullying  the  United  States,  and  our 
statesmen  playing  futile  tricks  in  Congress  by  way  of  resent 
ing  it.  Nor  was  England  alone  in  abusing  our  infant  nation. 
France  under  Napoleon  did  the  best  she  could  with  her 
more  limited  naval  resources.  When  all  Europe  was  in 
volved  by  Napoleon  in  war,  these  two  nations  preyed  per- 


RUTH   LEARNS  ARITHMETIC  311 

sistently  and  with  a  beautiful  consistency  on  American 
commerce,  devising  such  intricate  rules  for  neutral  carriers 
that  few  American  vessels  escaped  both  powers. 

Madison,  elected  into  this  tangle,  took  up  the  task  of 
straightening  it  out.  The  British  minister  at  the  time  was 
David  M.  Erskine,  who,  being  young  and  anxious  to  achieve 
a  reputation  for  smoothing  away  troubles 
between  America  and  England,  made 
proposals  and  promises  to  Madison 
upon  the  strength  of  which  the 
President  annulled  the  embargo. 
A  thousand  ships  at  once  sailed 
away  and  the  country  became 
wild  with  enthusiasm  for  the 
new  President. 

But  Canning,  prime  min 
ister  of  England,  repudiated 
Erskine 's  promises  and  re 
called  the  young  man,  which 
brought  President  Madison 
down  out  of  the  sky.  Vessels 
that  had  set  sail  were  per 
mitted  to  finish  their  voyages; 
but  beyond  that,  the  old  condi- 

j  HENRY  CLAY 

tions  were  restored. 

There  followed  a  period  in  which  the  United  States  tried 
to  play  off  against  each  other  England  and  France;  but 
England  and  France,  finding  themselves  preoccupied  and 
the  conditions  surrounding  American  commerce  materially 
beneficial  to  themselves,  omitted  the  important  detail  of 
playing  the  game  as  outlined  by  the  United  States.  Napo 
leon,  in  need  of  funds,  made  a  pretense  of  playing  the  game, 
and  invited  American  ships  into  French  ports  by  a  procla 
mation  abrogating  some  of  the  former  restrictions  he  had 


312  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

laid  against  them.  As  soon  as  he  considered  that  there  were 
enough  Americans  in  port  to  make  it  worth  while,  he  an 
nounced  that  he  had  not  meant  what  he  said,  and  confis 
cated  the  vessels,— cargoes,  captains,  and  all.  Madison 
grieved  over  this,  and  deplored  the  event  to  the  country,  but 
does  not  seem  to  have  done  much  more.  Probably  there 
was  not  a  family  in  the  United  States  that  had  not  some 
claim  arising  from  the  French  spoliation,  that  still  comes 
up  at  odd  times  to  stir  golden  hopes  among  the  younger 
generation. 

Madison,  throughout  his  first  term  and  for  years  before, 
as  secretary  of  state,  had  held  to  the  opinion  that,  if  there 
must  be  war  with  either  country,  it  should  be  with  France. 
But  in  the  year  1811  events  began  so  to  shape  themselves 
as  to  make  it  seem  necessary  for  him  to  change  his  opinion, 
or  compromise  with  it.  The  first  of  these  was  a  fight  be 
tween  the  United  States  frigate  President  and  the  British 
sloop-of-war  Little  Belt,  one  of  the  fleet  that  was  blockading 
our  coasts  to  enforce  the  decrees  and  Orders  of  Council. 
A  second,  and  more  consequential,  was  the  election  of  Henry 
Clay  to  the  speakership  of  the  house.  Clay,  young,  ambi 
tious,  born  to  lead,  and  full  of  fire,  began  to  insist  on  a  war 
with  England.  He  found  many  of  a  kindred  spirit,  and 
among  them  John  C.  Calhoun.  These  were  the  "War 
Hawks"  who  brought  on  war. 

The  first  step  toward  it  was  taken  before  the  adjourn 
ment  of  the  house  in  1811,  when  Congress  renewed  an  act 
of  non-intercourse  with  Great  Britain,  which  had  been 
suspended  when  there  was  promise  of  peace.  In  1812-  they 
passed  a  law  establishing  another  embargo  for  ninety  days; 
six  weeks  later  war  was  declared  against  England.  Madison 
advocated  both  these  measures  in  messages  to  Congress, 
but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  war  party  was  growing 
stronger  every  day,  that  the  year  was  the  year  of  a  presiden- 


RUTH   LEARNS   ARITHMETIC  315 

tial  election,  and  that  Madison  had  a  natural  desire  to  suc 
ceed  himself.  He  was  renominated  in  the  interval  between 
the  embargo  and  the  declaration  of  war.  If  the  cable  had 
been  laid  under  the  Atlantic  at  that  time,  there  would  have 
been  no  war;  for  two  days  before  hostilities  were  declared,  on 
June  1 6,  England  revoked  the  Orders  in  Council,  which  was 
the  principal  cause  of  the  rupture. 

It  was  not  a  popular  conflict,  in  spite  of  the  war  cry, 
"Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights!"  The  Federal  party 
was  opposed  to  it  from  the  beginning;  the  New  England 
States,  where  the  party  still  enjoyed  a  sporadic  existence, 
refused  to  support  the  government,  going  to  lengths  that  led 
to  the  edge  of  secession,  of  which  more  hereafter.  It  was 
not  a  popular  war  in  the  White  House,  perhaps;  it  was 
contrary  to  the  President's  judgment,  if  not  to  his  will. 
Dolly  Madison,  a  Quaker  by  birth,  was  secretly  unhappy, 
though  she  made  a  brave  show  and  helped  her  husband 
through  the  heavy  times  with  courage  and  fidelity.  Ruth 
at  first  was  quite  forlorn,  feeling  the  disapproval  directed 
against  her  guardian. 

The  weight  of  the  conflict  was  early  brought  home  to  the 
household  in  Washington.  The  cry  from  the  first  was  "On 
to  Canada!"  There  were  those  who  believed,  probably 
sincerely,  that  Canada  could  be  overrun  and  conquered  in 
a  campaign.  Henry  Clay  said  he  could  do  it  with  two 
Kentucky  regiments;  but  Henry  Clay  did  not  go  to  the  front. 
Early  in  1812,  before  the  war  had  been  declared  in  fact, 
General  William  Hull  set  out  for  Detroit  with  2000  men, 
with  a  plan  to  march  against  Maiden  and  Fort  Amherstburg. 
Advancing  across  the  river  from  Detroit  and  investing  Mai 
den,  Hull  met  with  unexpected  opposition  from  Major- 
General  Isaac  Brock.  Learning  presently  that  Tecumseh 
was  slicing  into  his  communications  between  Maumee  and 
Detroit,  Hull  returned  to  the  post,  where  he  was  followed 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


by  Brock,  who,  August  8,  1812,  prevailed  upon  him  to 
surrender  without  firing  a  shot,  though  behind  fortifications. 
The  surrender  laid  Hull  open  to  savage  criticism.  Sub 
sequently  he  was  tried  on  charges  of  treason,  cowardice, 
and  incompetency.  On  the  two  last  charges  he  was  con 
victed  and  sentenced  to  be  shot,  but  President  Madison 
pardoned  him.  The  news  of  the  surrender  gave  the  enemies 
__.^^  of  the  administration  an  opportunity  to 

complain  of  which  they  fully  availed 
themselves.     Hull,   however,    has 
been  vindicated  by  modern  mili 
tary  critics. 

The  outcry  made  against  the 
President  and  his  advisers  bore 
on  no  one  more  heavily  than  on 
Ruth  Gardner,  whose  sensitive 
nature  was  hurt  by  every  blow 
directed   against   her  guardian. 
She  took  upon  herself  a  respon 
sibility  that  in  no  wise  belonged 
either  to  her  or  to  James  Madison, 
and  grew  more  unhappy  each  day  as 
GENERAL  SIR  ISAAC  BROCK      complaints  and  criticisms  against  the 
conduct  of  the  war,  and  the  war  itself,  accumulated. 

Early  in  September  she  was  strolling  through  the  grounds 
of  the  White  House,  more  depressed  and  worried  than  usual, 
when  Michael  Forbeson  joined  her.  Forbeson  was  a  young 
man  who  had  come  to  Washington  within  the  year  to  act 
as  a  clerk  in  the  war  office,  an  appointment  for  which  he  was 
indebted  to  Nicholas  Snell.  Through  the  same  source, 
he  had  obtained  an  introduction  to  the  family  in  the  White 
House,  and  had  at  once  become  devoted  to  Ruth;  in  which 
devotion,  it  might  be  mentioned,  he  was  by  no  means 
alone. 


RUTH   LEARNS  ARITHMETIC  317 

"You  seem  very  low  to-day,  Miss  Ruth,"  he  said,  gayly, 
falling  into  pace  with  her  stroll. 

"Oh,  the  news  from  the  West  has  quite  disconcerted 
me,"  she  answered.  "  'T  would  be  bad  enough  for  our  arms 
to  suffer  defeat  if  the  blame  were  not  all  laid  to  my  uncle. 
Knowing  what  a  sweet  and  lovable  man 
he  is,  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  others 
attacking  him  as  they  do." 

"Come,  that  is  not  the  way  to  win 
wars,"  Forbeson  reproved.     "We 
arc  only  beginning.     A  reverse 
or  two  at  first  will  only  serve 
to  make  us  fight  the  harder 
for   victory  the    next    time. 
And  as  for  the  President, 
think    what     fame     and 
fortune  will  be  his  when 
success  comes  at  last." 

Ruth  shook  her  head 
by  way  of  answer. 

"By  Jove!  "cried  Forbe 
son,  "I  would  rather  a  dozen 
Hulls  surrendered  than  that  you 

Should  be  SO  Cast  down."  GENERAL  WILLIAM  HULL 

She  turned  to  him  a  smile.  "That  is  not  very  patriotic, 
Mr.  Forbeson.  I  do  not  understand." 

"Well,  then,  since  I  must  be  bold  in  the  matter,  I  will 
tell  you  that  your  one  smile  is  worth  more  to  me  than  a 
dozen  triumphs  of  our  arms,  and  not  because  I  love  my 
country  the  less,  either." 

Ruth  withdrew  her  glances  in  sudden  confusion,  no 
longer  in  doubt  about  his  meaning. 

"Am  I  forgiven,  then,  and  acquitted  of  a  charge  of  lack 
of  patriotism?"  Forbeson  went  on. 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Ruth  laughed  for  answer. 

"And  am  I  forgiven  because  I  wish  above  all  things  else 
in  this  world  to  see  you  smiling  and  happy?" 

"Is  it  a  sin  to  wish  to  see  me  smile?"  she  parried. 
"How  you  women  do  twist  things!"  laughed  Forbeson. 
"To  be  sure,  it  would  be  a  sin  to  wish  to  see  you  sad;    but 
by  the  same  token  it  might  be  a  bold  fault  to  tell  you  other 
wise,  as  I  have  just  told  you." 

"I  hope  I  shall  not  be  so  severe,"  said  the  girl. 
"With  all   my  heart  I  hope   that,"  rejoined  Forbeson 
fervently,  grasping  her  arm  for  a  passing  instant. 

Ruth,   fluttered  and  pleased,   led  the  talk  away  with 
feminine  skill.     They  came  presently  to  the  White  House 

door,  where 
Ruth  bade  him 
farewell,  and 
entered,  re 
stored  in  spirits 
for  the  mo 
ment,  and  at 
least  glad  for 
what  he  had 
said  to  her.  He 
was  full  of  such 
speeches,  but 
never  had  she 
been  so  pleas- 
urably  affected 
by  his  subtle 
declarations  of 
affection  as 
now.  He  had 
come  upon  her 
in  a  mood  when 


HULL'S  SURRENDER  TO  BROCK  AT  DETROIT 
drawing  by  H.  L.  Stephens) 


(From  the 


RUTH   LEARNS  ARITHMETIC 


she  hungered  so  deeply  that  her  thoughts  had  been  running 
away  with  her,  back  to  that  childish  love  she  had  known 
years  ago,  and  which  she  thought  she  had  put  away. 

She  passed  down  the  wide  hall  of  the  White  House,  all 
afloat  with  the  sensations  he  had  aroused,  half  afraid  to 
seek  Dolly  Madison  and  find  shelter  from  her  thoughts. 
She  had  no  more  than  got  within  the  door,  when  the  Presi- 


DETROIT  AT  AN  EARLY  DAY     (From  an  engraving) 

dent's  wife  rushed  to  her,  aglow  with  joy,  and  clasped  her 
in  her  arms. 

"My  child!  My  child!"  cried  Mrs.  Madison.  " Won 
derful  news!  Great  news!  What  think  you  it  is?  We 
have  taken  a  ship!  We  have  dragged  the  flag  of  England 
from  the  seas!" 

Ruth  could  do  no  more  than  ask  a  startled  question. 

"  Captain  Isaac  Hull,  nephew  to  the  poor  man  at  De 
troit,  has  taken  a  British  frigate,  the  Guerriere,  with  the  Con 
stitution.  Oh,  child,  think  what  it  means  to  us,  and  to  my 
husband!" 

By  little  the  story  came  out,  how  Hull,  going  to  sea  in 
search  of  a  prize,  had  fallen  in  with  the  Guerriere  and 


32o  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

utterly  overwhelmed  the  enemy;  how  he  had  come  back  to 
Boston  in  triumph;  how  the  country  had  gone  mad  with 
joy,  and  many  other  things  dear  to  a  woman  who  tells  a 
story. 

"And  just  think  of  the  poor  men  who  were  on  the 
British  ship  for  so  long,  and  were  released  at  last,"  went  on 
Mrs.  Madison,  inconsequentially.  "How  glad  they  must 
be,  and  how  we  rejoice  for  them!" 

"What  men,  auntie?" 

"Why,  have  n't  I  told  you ?  There  were  some  American 
sailors  aboard  the  British  ship,  men  who  were  impressed 
and  made  to  fight  against  their  country.  Think  of  what 
they  must  have  suffered,  child!  But  now  they  are  back, 
and  will  even  up  the  score,  I  warrant  you." 

A  sudden  and  strange  intuition  burst  into  the  brain  of 
Ruth,  a  mad  thought  that  set  her  trembling.  "Who  were 
they?"  she  asked,  half  whispering. 

"Who  were  they?"  repeated  Mrs.  Madison,  without 
considering  the  strangeness  of  the  question.  "Here  are 
their  names."  She  took  a  paper  from  the  table  and  read 
three  or  four  names  first,  and  then  "Richard  Morris,  for 
many  years  an  impressed  sailor,  thrown  into  chains  for 
refusing  duty  in  the  fight  -  "  and  passed  on  to  the  next. 

Now  Ruth  understood  the  years  of  silence.  She  was 
whirled  back  through  many  years  to  those  early  days,  and 
the  love  that  had  been  born  then  had  a  new  birth,  filling  her 
heart,  making  her  forgetful  of  all  else. 

"See  how  you  have  rumpled  my  hair,  auntie,"  she  said, 
carelessly.  "I  must  go  and  set  it  to  rights." 

"But,  child,  you  are  weeping!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Madison, 
heeding  her  closely  for  the  first  time. 

"It  is  only  to  think  how  glad  the   President  will  be." 

"Sweet  child."  purred  Mrs.  Madison,  kissing  her  cheek. 
"Run  along  now,  and  arrange  your  hair,  if  you  must." 


CHAPTER  V 
RUTH    GROWS    SUSPICIOUS 

NICHOLAS  SNELL  looked  up  from  the  clutter  of 
papers  on  his  desk  in  the  navy  department  into  the 
countenance  of  Michael  Forbeson,  which  had  lost  its  expres 
sion  of  debonair  frankness.     "  So  you  think  you  are  not  going 
through  with  it?"  he  said,  with  half  a  sneer. 

"I  tell  you  for  sure  that  I  am  not!"  ex 
claimed  the  other.     "I  am  not  made  to 
be  a  spy." 

Snell  shrugged  his  shoulders.     "  I 
have  seen  better  myself,"  he  said. 
"But  now  that  you  are  one,  you 
might  as  well  make  the  most  of 
it;  for  when   you  once  begin 
the  game  it  is  hard  to  stop." 

"But  I  am  going  to  stop,  I 
tell  you  again." 

"Why?"  Snell  stretched 
out  in  his  chair  until  his  head 
rested  on  the  back  of  it. 

"I'll    tell    you    why,    then; 
replied  Forbeson,  impulsively. 

the  girl  that  's  made  the  change  in  me.     MAJOR-GENERAL  HENRY  DEARBORN 

I  came  here  first  with  a  clear  conscience,  believing  all  was 
fair  in  war,  and  I  have  done  my  work  so  that  there  is  no 
complaint.  But  it  has  come  to  such  a  pass  with  me  now 
that  I  can  scarcely  look  into  her  face  without  crying  out  my 
shame  to  her  and  going  down  on  my  knees,  asking  her 
forgiveness." 

321 


322 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


Snell  shrugged  his  shoulders  again.  "Mike,"  he  said, 
"do  you  know  you  are  likely  to  lose  your  neck  from  losing 
your  heart  like  this?" 

"  And  how  about  yourself  ?  "  Forbeson  rejoined. 

"Do  you  suppose  that  you  would  be  believed  if  you  told 
them  I  was  with  you  in  this  ?  Do  you  suppose  I  would  leave 


FORT  DEARBORN,  CHICAGO 

a  place  for  any  story  from  you  ?  Do  not  forget  that  I  have 
the  ear  of  the  President,  and  have  it  first. " 

"You  would  not  betray  me  like  that,  sure!"  cried  Forbe 
son,  more  in  anger  and  contempt  than  in  fear. 

Snell  rose  from  his  seat  and  placed  his  hands  on  the 
other's  shoulders.  "Mike,"  he  said,  "I  would  do  nothing 
that  you  would  not  compel  me  to  do.  Now  let  us  talk 
better  sense  for  a  moment.  Here  you  are,  safe  and  sound, 
doing  a  good  work.  It  will  not  last  long.  The  war  will 
soon  be  over,  and  then  you  can  return  to  England  with  the 
girl  and  high  honors  from  a  grateful  government,  and  she 
will  be  none  the  worse  for  it ;  because  it  will  come  out  so  in 
the  end  whether  you  play  your  part  or  not.  Only,  unless 
you  do,  you  shall  not  have  Ruth." 


RUTH   GROWS   SUSPICIOUS 


323 


"But  I  mislike  it  much,"  mumbled  Forbeson,  wavering. 

"It  is  not  a  pleasant  task,"  Snell  returned.  "War  is 
not  pleasant,  but  all  is  fair  in  war,  as  it  is  in  love,  too,  if  you 
remember." 

"But  I  don't  want  you  to  believe  that  it  is  your  threats 
that  keep  me  to  it!" 

"Threats!  I  make  no  threats.  I  only  point  out  a  few 
plain  truths, 
which  you 
have  wis 
dom  to  un- 
derst  and 
and  be 
guided  by. 
So  let  us 
not  play  the 
fool  again, 
Michael. 
Swallow 
your  con 
science  for 
the  time. 
You  can 
make  it  up  to  the  girl  after  it  is  all  over." 

Forbeson,  shaking  his  head  and  complaining  against 
fate,  left  Snell  to  his  papers.  Alone  once  more,  the  attache 
of  .the  navy  department  struck  the  side  of  his  nose  thrice 
with  an  extended  finger,  winking  with  each  blow,  and 
turned  to  his  task. 

A  clerk  came  in,  bearing  a  bundle  of  mail,  tied  in  red 
tape.  "Here  is  the  ship's  mail,  sir,"  he  said,  laying  it  down. 

"All  right.  That  is  what  I  want."  The  clerk  turned 
to  go.  "You  understand  the  purpose  of  this,  Brown?" 
Snell  called  after  him.  "We  have  suspicions  that  make  it 


BAS-RELIEF  FROM  THE  TABLET  MARKING  THE  SITE  OF  OLD 
FORT  DEARBORN,  CHICAGO 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


well  to  investigate  all  the  mail  that  comes  to  Washington 

from  our  ships-of-war,  and  you  must  arrange  so  that  none 

gets  by  us." 

"I  have  notified  proper  parties  at  every  port,  sir." 
"That  is  right,     And,  Brown,  it  would  be  just  as  well 

for  you  not  to  speak  of  this,  for  we  do  not  want  to  put  any 


THE  BATTLE  OF  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS 

one  on  his  guard  by  letting  him  know  what  precautions  we 
are  taking.  We  shall  land  some  of  them  yet,  the  damned 
traitorous  scoundrels.  And  one  thing  more,  Brown.  This 
fellow  Morris,  Midshipman  Richard  Morris.  You  saw  to 
it  that  he  was  shipped  away  in  the  United  States?" 

"That  was  done,  sir." 

"Good.  You  see,  Brown,  this  fellow's  presence  would 
be  very  embarrassing  to  certain  high  parties  in  Washington, 
and  we  must  arrange  to  keep  him  at  sea.  I  am  sorry  that 
I  cannot  tell  you  more  about  it,  for  it  is  an  interesting  story. 
Be  certain  to  bring  me  privately  every  report  you  have  that 
mentions  his  name,  and  keep  close  watch  that  he  does  not 


RUTH  GROWS  SUSPICIOUS  327 

get  ashore.  We  will  order  him  from  one  place  to  another 
for  a  time,  until  the  present  affair  in  which  he  is  involved 
blows  over.  That  is  all." 

Alone  once  more,  Snell  unbound  the  packet  of  letters, 
and  ran  through  them,  examining  each  address  carefully. 
"Aha!"  he  said,  presently,  under  his  breath. 
"Here  we  have  it.  Now  we  shall  take 
a  look  at  this,  to  see  what  manner  of 
letter  the  fellow  writes.  '  My  beloved 
Ruth,'  he  says.  'At  last,  after  years 
of  trouble  and  anxiety,  I  find  it 
possible  to  write  you  once  more,  to 
tell  you  I  am  alive  and  well.'  Good. 
Now  let  me  see."  He  read  on,  in 
silence,  grinning  sardonically  from 
time  to  time.  When  he  had  finished, 
he  tore  the  letter  into  small  pieces 
and  threw  them  into  the  fireplace. 
"So  much  for  Middy  Morris,"  he 
said,  grinning  again  as  he  returned  to 
his  desk.  "Now,  when  she  is  made  to 
believe  her  laddy  is  dead,  and  falls  suffi 
ciently  in  love  with  our  friend  the  spy,  we 

will    teach    her    what    it    is    to    flout    Nick     GENERAL  STEPHEN  VAN 

RENSSELAER     (From   a 
Snell."  minature  by   C.   Fraser) 

For  a  time  in  the  fall  of  1812  the  spirits  of  the  war  party 
ran  high,  and  the  opponents  of  the  war  found  little  comfort, 
There  was  not  only  the  victory  of  the  Constitution  over  the 
Guerriere;  another  engagement  at  sea  had  resulted  in  a 
victory  for  the  Americans.  On  August  13,  six  days  before 
the  Constitution-Guerriere  fight,  the  frigate  Essex  fell  in  with 
and  captured  the  British  sloop  Alert  and  reduced  her  to  a 
wreck  in  eight  minutes.  In  celebrating  this  achievement, 
the  Americans  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  Essex  heavily 


328 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


SITE  OF  THE  REDAN  BATTERY  AT 
QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS 


outweighed  her  opponent.     At  that,  the  event  was  worthy 
of  enthusiasm,  for  the  victory  was  more  decisive  than  the 

disparity    in    force    alone    would 
warrant. 

Meanwhile,  affairs  on 
land  were  not  prospering. 
Detroit  was  gone;  Mich- 
ilimackinac  had  fallen 
into  British  hands; 
the  garrison  of  Fort 
Dearborn,  Chicago, 
together  with  a 
number  of  refugee 
inhabitants,  had 
been  murdered  by 
the  Indians,  who 
operated  with  the  British 
against  the  place.  In  addi 
tion  to  these  calamities,  operations  against  Canada  were 
languishing. 

In  pursuance  of  his  plans  to  invade  the  Dominion, 
General  Dearborn  made  elaborate  prep-  ^__^ 
arations,    mobilizing    at    Niagara.     By  .4; 
October,  General  Van   Rensselaer  oc 
cupied  the  American  side  of  the  river  ^ 
with  6000  troops,  many  of  them  militia  .-£ 
from  New  York.     Early  on  the  morn-  ^ 
ing    of    October    13    Van 
Rensselaer  crossed  with 
1500  men  and  stormed  the 
heights  of  Queenston. 
Later  in  the  morning 
the  Canadians 
returned  to    il 


THE  SPOT 
WHERE  BROCK 
FELL  AT 
QUEENSTON 
HEIGHTS 


RUTH   GROWS   SUSPICIOUS 


329 


the  attack,  led  by  General  Brock  at  the  head  of  reinforce 
ments.  In  the  crisis  the  militia  from  New  York  refused  to 
cross  into  Canada,  taking  advantage  of  a  law  under  which 
they  were  not  obliged  to  go  outside  the  State.  Because  of 
their  failure  to  cooperate,  the  advance  guard  occupying 
Queenston  Heights  was  captured.  General  Brock  was  killed 
in  the  fight,  to  become  a  hero  in  the  annals  of  the  Dominion. 

In  December  Captain  Stewart,  commanding  the  Constella 
tion  lying  in  the  river  before  Washington,  having  given  a  ball 
to  high  officials  in  the  government,  it  was  deemed  suitable 
and  politic  to  return  the  festivities  to  the  navy,  honoring  the 
heroes  of  the  sea  for  their  g  recent  victories.  Captain 
Hull  was  in  Washington, 
had  fought  on  the  Consti- 

On  the  night  of  Decem- 
brilliantly  illuminated,  was 
chivalry  of  official  Wash- 
blaze  of  bunting;  at  one 
flags  of  the  Guerriere  and 
was  there  with  the  mem- 
their  wives;  senators  and 


men  from  the  departments, 
best  of  the  nation. 
Dolly    Madison, 
captured  flags, 
brat  ion.   At 
F  o  n  - 
wife    I 


with  several  officers  who 
tution  and  the  Essex. 
ber  8,  Tomlinson's  hall, 
filled  with  the  beauty  and 
ington.  The  room  was  a 
end  were  the  captured 
the  Alert.  The  President 
bers  of  the  cabinet  and 
their  wives,  naval  officers, 
the  best  of  the  town  —  the 


holding  court  beneath  the 
was  the  center  of  the  cele- 
her  right  hand  was  Mrs. 
taine  Stevens, 

A  of    the 


SIR  ISAAC  BROCK'S  MONUMENT  AT  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS 


330  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

senator  from  Massachusetts,  who,  because  he  had  adopted 
the  war  policy,  had  lost  his  seat  in  the  last  election  and 
would  not  come  back  next  spring.  Near  them  was  Repre 
sentative  Thwaite,  submitting  to  the  prosecution  of  the  war, 
of  which  he  had  disapproved, — he  was  there  because 
Leonora  was  there. 

There  was  greater  joy  to-night  than  had  been  contem 
plated;  for  rumor  told  of  another  victory  at  sea;  of  another 
British  ship  captured  by  American  salts.  No  one  could 
tell  how,  or  where,  or  by  what  vessel;  there  was  nothing 
more  than  an  excited  tale.  Many  said  it  was  the  United 
States  that  had  done  it,  and  that  the  vanquished  ship  was 
the  Macedonian,  but  no  one  could  fully  verify  the  story. 

Ruth  Gardner,  doing  her  best  to  be  gay  and  interested, 
stood  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of  admirers,  laughing  and 
making  eyes  at  them  in  a  hollow,  heavy  way.  The  music 
struck  up.  Michael  Forbeson  led  her  on  to  the  floor.  "  You 
are  not  well  to-night,  Miss  Ruth,"  he  said,  tenderly. 

"Do  I  dance  so  poorly?" 

"On  my  word,  you  dance  like  a  lily  alive  on  its  stem  in 
a  May  morning;  but  the  sun  is  not  shining  as  it  should  in 
May." 

"If  there  were  nothing  but  sunshine,  the  lily  would  soon 
wither  away,  Mr.  Forbeson." 

"If  I  did  not  pluck  it  first,"  he  whispered.  "Then  it 
might  grow  in  my  heart  forever  and  a  day." 

She  was  saved  from  making  any  response  by  a  com 
motion  that  arose  at  the  bottom  of  the  hall;  the  sound  of 
loud  voices,  half  shouting;  a  bustle  of  men  and  women 
surrounding  one  who  made  his  way  up  the  hall,  toward  Mrs. 
Madison,  where  she  stood  beneath  the  captured  flags. 
They  both  looked  that  way,  abandoning  the  dialogue. 

"Come,  let  us  see  what  this  is,"  said  Forbeson,  making 
way  toward  the  same  point,  dragging  Ruth  after  him. 


RUTH   GROWS   SUSPICIOUS 


With  a  cry,  a  half-dozen  men  lifted  to  their  shoulders 
the  one  in  their  center.  He  was  a  young  officer  of  the  navy. 
About  his  shoulders  was  a  drapery  of  colors.  At  sight  of 
him,  and  what  he  had  wrapped  about  him,  the  company 
went  wild  with  joy. 

"Who  is  it  ?"  cried  Ruth,  striving  to  get  a  glimpse  of  him 
through  the  press. 

"Lieutenant  Hamilton,  son  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy," 
some  one  answered. 

"What  has  he  wrapped  about  him?" 

"  'Fore  God,  't  is  another  flag!"  cried  Forbeson. 

"The  Macedonian's!"  another  at  his  elbow  added. 
"She  was  taken  by  the  United  States  off  Madeira,  and  has 
just  come  to  port." 

The  elegant  gathering  was  turned  into  a  tumult  as  the 
news   was  bruited   about.    Come   there    to   celebrate   two 
victories,  and  informed  of  a  third,  the  people  could  not  con 
tain  their  joy.    They  laughed,  they  wept,  they   embraced 
one  another.    And  when  Lieutenant   Hamilton,  struggling 
from  the  shoulders  of  the  men  who  car- 
ried   him, 
made    his 


THE  FORT  DEARBORN 
MASSACRE 


332  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

way  through  the  crowd  and  placed  the  flag  at  the  feet  of 
Dolly  Madison,  there  was  such  an  uproar  that  those  who 
had  not  learned  what  it  was  all  about  were  filled  with  panic. 
In  the  confusion,  Ruth's  hand  slipped  from  Forbeson's 
arm,  and  she  lost  track  of  him.     Quivering  with  excitement, 
she  was  striving  to  come  closer  to  her  aunt  when  a  low  voice 
over  her  shoulder  gave  her  pause.     "  There  is 
another  side  to  this,"  said  the  voice. 

She  turned ;  it  was  Nicholas  Snell.  ' '  There 
is  many  a  poor  devil  who  gave  his  life  to 
make  this  holiday  for  us,"  he  went  on. 

11  There  is  many  a  devil,  perhaps,  who  is 
in  no  danger  of  giving  his,"  Ruth  retorted, 
angered,  and  despising  the  man  for  his 
croaking  manner,  and  for  all  that 
had  gone  before. 

"  Among  them,"  pursued  Snell, 
paying  no  heed   to  the  innuendo 
in  her  speech,  "among  them,  as 
I  learn  by  the  reports  that  reached 
the  office  just  before  I  left,  is  an 
excellent  friend  of  ours,  of  the  name 

BLACK  PARTRIDGE  SAVING  MRS.  HELM       r  ^  •   ^      j  Tvyrrirr:c  » 
IN  THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE        ot  Diehard  Morns. 

(From  the  monument  in  Chicago]  Vague,  fragmentary  suspicions 

of  Snell  that  had  floated  like  broken  clouds  in  Ruth's  mind 
for  a  long  time  flew  together  in  an  instant.  "I  shall  ask 
to  see  the  reports,  Mr.  Snell,"  she  said,  looking  him  fully 
in  the  eye. 

"I  shall  be  happy  to  show  them  to  you,  Miss  Gardner," 
he  returned,  meeting  her  gaze  without  a  flutter.  "Come 
to  the  office  at  your  leisure,  and  you  shall  see  them." 

"I  will  go  now,"  she  said. 

"Shall  I  ask  your  aunt  to  provide  an  escort  ?" 

"No,"  returned  the  girl,  "I  will  go  alone." 


CHAPTER  VI 
RUTH   SETS   A   TASK 

IT  was  not  difficult,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  for 
Ruth  to  pass  unobserved  from  the  hall  in  the  company 
of  Snell.     She  delayed  long  enough  only  to  get  her  bonnet 
and  wrap.    The  two  were  soon  walking  through  the  dismal 
streets  of  the  city  toward  the  navy  office. 

He  led  her  down  the  passage,  turning  in  through  a  door 
way  near  the  feeble  candle.     The  room  in  which  they  stood 
was  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy. 
It,  too,  was  dimly  lighted.     One  belated 
clerk  was  bending  over  a  report  which 
did  not  appear  to  be  having  an  exhila 
rating  effect  upon  his  spirits. 

They  passed  through  the  secre 
tary's  office    into   an  inner  room. 
Another  candle  was  burning  here. 
Snell   communicated  the  flame  to 
several  more,  which  he  placed  on 
table  in  the  center  of  the  room.     "If 
you   will    sit    down,    I   will    get    the' 
reports,"  he  said. 

Ruth  took   a   chair,  thanking  him.    JACOB    0From  Peale,s 
He  left  the  room,  returning  after  some  portrait.) 

delay  with  a  bundle  of  papers.  "Brown  was  just  working 
over  these,  getting  them  in  shape  for  Mr.  Hamilton," 
Snell  explained.  "Of  course,"  he  added,  bethinking  him 
self,  "it  is  understood  that  I  am  showing  you  these 
reports  in  confidence,  and  because  you  seem  interested  to 
learn  all  you  can  of  this  Richard  Morris ;  and  not  to  vindi- 

333 


334 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


cate  my  veracity,  your  opinion  of  which  is  of  no  consequence 
to  me?  You  will  do  me  the  grace  to  concede  that  much, 
Miss  Gardner." 

Ruth  was  abashed  for  the  first  time,  wondering  whether 
she  might  not  have  done  this  man  an  injustice.     Such  is  the 
value  of  the  dangerous  art  of  getting  angry. 
I  do  not  mean  to  be  unfair,  Mr.  Snell," 
she  said. 

"Here  is  the  report  from  Captain 
Decatur.    You  may  read  it  all,  if 
you  care  to.     The  only  mention 
he  makes  of  Morris  is  here,  where 
he  says:  'I  have  the  honor   of 
especially  commending  the  brave 
conduct  of  Midshipman  Richard 
Morris  throughout  the  engage 
ment,  and  to  suggest  his   name 
for  promotion,  if  he  survives  the 
wounds  he  received  while  tending 
to  his  duties  during  battle.'  " 
Ruth    took   the  paper  and   read 
with  quivering  lip.      She  read,    and 
read   again. 

"Here   is  another  report,  signed 
portrait]  by  the  surgeon,  giving  a  list  of  those 

who  died  following  the  engagement  and  were  buried  at  sea,'7 
said  Snell,  after  a  great  fumbling  and  searching  among 
the  bundle  of  papers  he  had.  "Will  you  look  at  it?  That 
is  all  that  concerns  you,  I  believe,  the  others  being  official 
reports  of  other  officers  covering  various  departments  of  the 
service „  You  are  welcome  to  look  them  over,  if  you  choose." 
She  did  not  answer;  she  was  reading  down  through  the 
list.  As  she  read,  her  eyes  closed,  as  though  to  shut  out 
what  she  saw.  She  handed  the  paper  back  to  Snell  without 


DAVID  PORTER    (From  Wood's 


RUTH  SETS  A  TASK 


335 


speaking.  She  arose;  her  eyes,  wide  and  dry,  were  dis 
traught  with  grief.  "Can  you  take  me  back?"  she  said. 
"I  am  sorry  that  I  doubted  you." 

"On  the  whole,  I  am  rather  glad,"  Snell  made  answer, 
replacing  on  her  shoulders  the  cloak 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  or 
JAMES  FENIMORE  COOPER 

BURLINGTON,  NEW  JERSEY 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  JAMES 
LAWRENCE 


that  had  fallen  when  she  arose. 
"It  settles  an  issue  that  seems  to  have  been  between  us, 
and  leaves  us  both,  I  apprehend,  free  to  go  about  our  affairs 
without  crossing  each  other's  paths  again." 

Ruth  did  not  return  to  the  ball,  but  went  directly  to  the 
White  House,  where  through  the  long  night  that  followed 
she  fought  her  fight  with  the  last  grief,  and  won,  solacing 
herself  with  the  thought  that  at  least  he  had  died  bravely. 


336 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


If  Ruth  had  detected,  when  she  read  the  surgeon's 
report  of  those  buried  at  sea,  that  the  ink  of  it  was  scarcely 
dry,  although  it  purported  to  have  been  penned  a  week  be 
fore;  if  she  had  seen  the  wink  and  the 
nod  that  Snell  bestowed  upon  the  clerk 
in  the  office  when  he  returned  the 
reports;  if  she  had  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  grin  on  the  face  of  the 
clerk, — much  of  this  story  would 
not  have  been  written. 

Some  days  later  Ruth,  meet 
ing  Lieutenant  Hamilton,  had 
courage  to  ask  concerning  the 
part  her  childhood's  lover  had 
in  the  fight,  hinting  at  a  touch 
of  kin  to  explain  her   inquiry. 
Lieutenant  Hamilton   could  not 
be  sure   what  had   happened  on 
the  part  of  the  ship  where  Morris 
was  stationed,  though  he  had  heard 
afterward  that  the  fellow  acquitted 

JAMES  LAWRENCE  (From       himself  nobly.     Morris   was    much 

cut   up,   he   said,  and  he  was  not 


Stuart's  portrait} 


THE  "CHESAPEAKE"  AND  "SHANNON"    (From  an  old  print) 


RUTH   SETS  A  TASK 


337 


surprised  when  Ruth  told  him  that  the  poor  lad  was  dead, 
although  he  had  not  remembered  that. 

In  time,  and  with  a  rapidity  that  was  surprising  to  her 
self,  Ruth  grew  to  think  of  Richard  as  if  he  had  been  dead 
ever  since  he  passed  out  of  her  life,  on  the  eve  of  his  de- 


THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  LAWRENCE    (From  the  painting  by  ChappelF) 

parture  in  search  of  his  father.  The  letters  that  had 
passed  between  them  after  that  she  overlooked ;  he  was  once 
more  the  young  lad  who  kissed  her  farewell,  and  went 
to  his  death. 

Thinking  thus  of  her  sweetheart,  it  was  not  strange  that 
she  should  turn  her  face  toward  Michael  Forbeson  with  a 
smile  and  a  free  heart;  it  is  not  to  be  rebuked  that  she  was 
able  to  contemplate  him  as  a  lover  without  disloyalty  toward 
the  one  who  was  gone.  Forbeson's  devotion  to  her  was  such 
that  it  was  foolish  and  vain  to  ignore  the  probability  that  he 


338 


VALOR    &   VICTORY 


would  become  her  avowed  lover  in  time,  and  a  short  time 
at  that.  Ruth  did  not  anticipate  the  event;  she  did  not 
plan  how  she  should  receive  his  protestations  of  affection; 
she  only  knew  that  she  was  not  sorry  that  this  brisk,  happy, 
bright,  frank-faced  young  fellow  found  in  her  something  to 
care  for. 

As  the  year  wore  away,  there  came  news  of  more  vic 
tories  by  sea.  On  October  15  the  sloop-of-war  Wasp, 
Captain  Jacob  Jones,  encountered  the 
British  brig  Frolic,  convoying  a  fleet  of 
merchantmen  from  Honduras  to 
England,  in  the  midst  of  a 
Hatteras  gale.  Each  vessel 
>  was  small,  being  of  about 
1  450  tons,  and  each  was 
'  thrown  about  by  the  sea 
until  the  muzzles  of  the 
guns  rolled  under;  but  the 
fight  went  on.  When,  at  the 
end  of  forty  minutes,  Lieu 
tenant  James  Biddle  boarded  the  enemy,  he  found  not  one 
man  unwounded  on  deck,  and  only  one  officer. 

The  Constitution,  Captain  David  Porter,  cruising  along 
the  coast  of  South  America,  fell  in  with  the  British  frigate 
Java  off  Brazil.  After  two  hours  of  fighting,  the  British 
surrendered,  having  lost  230  men.  In  February  the  sloop 
Hornet,  Captain  James  Lawrence,  destroyed  the  British 
brig  Peacock,  sending  her  to  the  bottom  before  her  men 
could  be  taken  off. 

These  victories  of  the  sea,  picturesque  and  inspiriting 
as  they  were,  had  no  other  than  a  moral  effect  on  the  belli 
gerents.  The  loss  of  a  few  ships  and  sailors  did  not  prevent 
England  from  blockading  the  American  coast,  and  was 
without  result  on  her  policy  or  the  conduct  of  the  war.  But 


THE  TOMB  OF  LAWRENCE,  TRINITY 

CHURCHYARD,  NEW  YORK 


ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  TIPPECANOE  AT  THE  DEDICATION  OF  THE  MONUMENT 


RUTH  SETS  A  TASK  341 

their  moral  influence  must  not  be  underestimated.  In  all 
her  recent  wars,  England  had  not  lost  as  many  vessels  in 
single  engagements  as  she  had  already  lost  to  this  upstart 
nation  with  a  navy  made  out  of  bundles  of  pine  boards. 
Britannia,  mistress  of  the  seas,  was  insulted,  outraged,  by  a 
handful  of  Yankee  skippers  and  sailors.  The  thing  was 
insufferable. 

In  the  depth  of  her  chagrin,  England  was  solaced  by  one 
success.  Captain  Philip  Broke,  commanding  the  Shannon, 
brought  home  victory,  and  was  made  a  baronet  for  it.  He 
captured  the  frigate  Chesapeake  off  Boston  harbor  on  June  i, 
1813.  The  Chesapeake  was  a  new  vessel,  hardly  in  com 
mission,  with  a  crew  drawn  in  part  from  the  farms  about 
Boston,  many  of  whom  did  not  know  a  marlinspike  from 
the  main  truck.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Law 
rence,  late  of  the  Hornet.  Broke  challenging  him,  he  went 
out,  unprepared  as  he  was,  and  lost.  He  paid  his  life  forfeit 
to  his  courage;  but  his  dying  words  were  soon  to  float  over 
a  victorious  fleet  on  an  inland  sea,  " Don't  give  up  the  ship!" 

Land  operations  against  Canada  were  resumed  in  the 
West  early  in  the  year.  General  William  Henry  Harrison, 
succeeding  General  Hull,  set  out  to  recover  Detroit.  He 
was  an  experienced  Indian  fighter,  having  wiped  out  the 
Prophet  and  his  band  at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  two  years 
before.  The  Prophet  and  his  brother  Tecumseh,  inspired 
by  the  same  dream  that  led  Pontiac  along  the  war-path, 
planned  to  reunite  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  West  against  the 
encroaching  whites.  The  conspiracy  was  destroyed  by 
Harrison;  but  Tecumseh  had  his  revenge  in  January,  when 
he  commanded  the  Indians  in  a  force  of  British  and  Indians 
that  attacked  Harrison's  advance  on  the  River  Raisin  and 
annihilated  it.  Only  a  few  escaped  to  bear  the  news;  the 
wounded  and  prisoners  were  massacred  by  the  Indians. 

This  disaster  proved  to  the  administration  the  futility 


342 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


of  any  endeavor  to  invade  Upper  Canada  without  first  ob 
taining  control  of  the  lakes.  Preparations  were  made  at 
once  to  put  fleets  in  Ontario  and  Erie.  Commodore 
Chauncey,  in  Ontario,  gathered  together  a  number  of  craft 
which  so  preponderated  over  the  enemy's  vessels  that  the 
Americans  were  able  to  make  a  successful  expedition  against 
York,  now  Toronto,  the  capital  of  Canada  West,  which 
place  they  captured  and  burned,  wantonly,  much  as  their 
own  capital  was  burned  later  in  the  war. 

Lake  Erie  was  of  great  strategic  importance,  command 
ing,  as  it  did,  an  entrance  to  the  other  lakes,  and  holding 
control  over  the  Northwest  Territory,  which,  after  the 
disaster  at  the  River  Raisin,  there  was  danger  of  our  losing. 
General  Harrison  could  do  nothing  until  assured  that  his 
communications,  which  were  exposed  to  Lake  Erie,  were 
secure.  The  British  had  a  fleet  of  six  vessels  on  the  lake, 
commanded  by  Captain  Barclay,  who  had  fought  with  Nelson. 

Into  this  situation  was  projected,  by 
some  fortunate  acci 
dent  in  the  navy 
department 
never  suffi 
ciently  ac- 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON,  BERKELEY,  VIRGINIA 


RUTH   SETS  A  TASK 


343 


counted  for,  a  dynamic  force  in  the  person  of  Oliver  Hazard 
Perry,  a  naval  officer  only  twenty-eight  years  old,  and  without 
previous  experience  in  actual  fighting.  Perry  turned  the 
virgin  forest  into  a  fleet  of  vessels,  and  conjured  men  and 
arms  out  of  the  wilderness,  in  time  to  offer 
battle  to  the  enemy  on  September  10 

His   flag-ship,  called    the   Lawrence, 
bore  at  her  masthead  Captain  Lawrence's 
dying    words,    "  Don't    give     up    the 
ship."     There    were    nine 
vessels    in   -the    American 
fleet,      smaller     than     the 
English  ships,  and  throwing  ^ 
less  metal. 

Engaging  the  two  heaviest 
vessels  of  the  enemy  with  the 
Lawrence,     he     endured     their 
combined  fire  until  his  vessel  was 
a   wreck,    when    he   leapt   into  a 
boat  with  eight  men,  all  that  re 
mained    of     his    Crew,    and     rowed     GENERAL  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON 

to  the  Niagara.  Marshaling  his  ships,  he  led  them  in  a 
charge  that  broke  through  the  enemy's  ranks  and  scattered 
them,  not  one  of  the  six  escaping  capture. 

This  is  the  message  that  Perry  sent  to  General  Harrison. 
"We  have  met  the  enemy  and  they  are  ours.  Two  ships, 
two  brigs,  one  schooner  and  one  sloop.  Yours,  with  great 
respec.t  and  esteem."  O.  H.  PERRY 

The  victory  cleared  the  way  for  Harrison,  who  promptly 
crossed  into  Canada  and  defeated  Proctor  and  Tecumseh 
in  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  Tecumseh  was  killed  in  the 
fight,  and  the  power  of  the  Indian  allies  broken.  Detroit 
was  soon  recovered,  and  the  Northwest  Territory  was 
secured  once  more  to  the  United  States. 


344 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


The  campaign  of  this  year  against  Lower  Canada  was 
ridiculous  and  disgraceful.  James  Wilkinson,  sometime 
pensioner  of  Spain,  sometime  conspirator  with  Aaron  Burr, 
and  always  incompetent,  had  been  placed  in  charge  of  an 
army  that  was  to  move  down  the  Saint  Lawrence  to  Mon- 


THE  ROCK  ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  TIPPECANOE  FROM  WHICH  THE   PROPHET 
SANG  OF  AMERICAN  DEFEAT 

treal,  where  he  was  to  be  met  by  a  force  under  General 
Wade  Hampton,  a  Southern  gentleman  of  ability  and  char 
acter.  General  Wilkinson  marched  his  men  until  a  detach 
ment  of  2000  militia  encountered  800  Canadians  at  Chryst- 
ler's  Farm  and  were  miserably  whipped.  He  sat  down  to 
wait.  Meanwhile,  Hampton  had  obeyed  orders  by  .march 
ing  from  Plattsburg  to  Chateaugay,  expecting  to  be  joined 
by  Wilkinson.  Waiting  there  as  long  as  it  was  safe,  he 
turned  about  and  marched  back  to  Plattsburg.  Hampton 
resigned  in  the  spring;  Wilkinson  asked  for  and  received 
a  court-martial,  including  a  coat  of  whitewash. 

President   Madison   was  not   completely  disheartened, 


RUTH  SETS  A  TASK 


345 


but  made  great  preparations  to  bring  the  next  campaign  to 
a  better  ending.  He  appointed  two  brand-new  major- 
generals,  George  Izard  and  Jacob  Brown,  and  several  new 
brigadiers,  among  them  Scott,  Macomb,  and  Gaines.  In 
the  selection  of  these  men  he  followed  a  procedure  unique 
in  his  administration;  he  rewarded  merit  and  recognized 
demonstrated  ability.  Not  to  be  too  thorough  in  his  house- 
cleaning,  he  appointed  John  Armstrong  of  New  York  to 
succeed  Eustis  as  secretary  of  war,  Eustis  having  resigned 
in  December.  At  the  same  time,  Paul  Hamilton  left  the 
navy  department,  and  was  followed  by  William  Jones  of 
Philadelphia,  who,  being  a  ship-owner,  was  of  some  value 
in  a  technical  way.  One  change  that  should  not  be  omitted 
from  mention  was  the  selection  of  Fontaine  Stevens,  former 
senator  from  Massachusetts,  for  a  position  in  the  war 
department. 

Ruth,  who  sympathized  with  the  President's  policies 
as  a  ward  should,  and  who  had  grown  somewhat  used  to 
war,  partook  of  the  hope  that  filled  the  Chief  Magistrate, 
viewing  the  future  with  calm  assurance  and  faith  that  was 


TECUMSEH'S  TRAIL  ALONG  THE  WABASH  RIVER 


346 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


consoling  to  herself  and  him,  if  nothing  more.  All  this  time, 
as  has  been  intimated,  Forbeson  was  pressing  his  suit  and 
coming  closer  to  the  critical  moment,  from  which  he  seemed 
deterred  only  by  a  mysterious  influence  which  Ruth  could 
not  guess,  and  which  piqued  her.  She  had  come  to  look 


BURIAL  PLACE  OF  THE  SOLDIERS  WHO  FELL  AT  THE   BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE, 

INDIANA 

forward  wistfully  to  his  declaration,  if  for  no  other  reason 
than  because  it  was  delayed. 

At  last  the  moment  came.  They  were  walking  in  the 
White  House  grounds  in  the  early  spring  evening.  The 
leaves  were  peeping  from  their  buds,  the  moon  was  in  the 
sky,  and  all  was  fitting.  He  told  her  of  his  love  passionately, 
in  many  words,  to  which  she  listened  with  averted  gaze. and 
a  soft  flush  of  exhilarating  excitement. 

"My  hero,"  she  said,  when  he  paused,  "the  man  I  shall 
love,  must  be  a  brave  man,  and  not  one  who  stays  safe  at 
home  when  others  fight  for  their  country." 

"  You  ask  that  as  proof  of  my  love  ?"   he  asked,  presently. 


RUTH   SETS  A  TASK  347 

"No;  I  should  not  like  to  put  it  that  way.  I  do  not 
want  you  to  go  to  the  front.  I  should  be  unhappy  if  you  ran 
any  risk;  and  yet  I  have  a  fancy,  which  may  be  foolish, 
that  I  could  not  love  a  man  as  I  would  want  to  love  him, 
if  he  stayed  here  while  others  fought." 

There  was  another  silence  as  they  walked  beneath  the 
moon  among  the  bursting  trees.  "If  I  go,  and  come  back  ?" 
he  resumed.  "You  will  love  me  then,  Ruth?" 

"I  --I  shall  give  you  my  answer  when  you  come  back," 
she  murmured. 

"And  if  I  do  not  come  back?"  he  suggested,  resorting 
to  an  ancient  and  honorable  device. 

She  laid  a  fluttering  hand  on  his  sleeve.  "Do  not  speak 
of  that,"  she  whispered. 

He  lifted  the  hand  to  his  lips.  "I  will  go,"  he  said,  with 
a  struggle,  "I  shall  start  to-morrow." 

There  was  silence  between  them  again.  "You  will  say 
farewell  to  me?"  he  whispered,  bending  above  her  shoulder. 

She  averted  her  face.  "You  will  come  back,"  she  said; 
and  left  him. 


THE  DEATH  OF  TECUMSEH  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THAMES,  ONTARIO 


CHAPTER  VII 


LETTERS   FROM   A   HERO 

IN  the  morning  there  came  a  note  from  Forbeson,  bidding 
Ruth  farewell.  He  should  not  see  her  again,  he  said, 
until  he  had  proved  himself  worthy  of  her  love.  If  the  proof 
demanded  the  last  sacrifice,  and  he  never  saw  her  again,  he 
would  be  content,  provided  he  could  feel  that  he  died  secure 
in  her  regard.  He  hoped,  in  such  an  event,  she  would  not 
reproach  herself,  for  she  was  right  in  making  this  demand. 

Reading  the 
note,  Ruth 
felt  for  the 
first  time  the 
full  signifi 
cance  of  the 
test  she  had 
set,  and  would 
have  been 
glad  to  relent. 
Her  woman's 
nature  pre 
venting  any 
expression  of 
such  weaken 
ing,  she  was 
compelled  to 
let  him  go, 
hoping  for 
better  fortune 
than  that  he 

NAPOLEON  IN  1814 

348 


LETTERS  FROM  A  HERO 


349 


skillfully  suggested    might  be  his,  justi- 
herself  as  being  party  to   a  patriotic 
rifice.     Although  Ruth  was  a  heroine, 
she  was  also  a  woman. 

The  summer  was  a  gloomy  one 
in  Washington.  In  two  years 
of  fighting,  nothing  had 
been  gained.  Blows  had 
been  given  and  taken  at 
Detroit ;  the  American 
fleets  had  control  of 
the  Great  Lakes;  pic 
turesque  victory  had 
come  sailing  up  out  of 
the  seas,  and  a  maraud 
ing  force  had  burned 
York,  the  capital  of 

JOSEPHINE,  EMPRESS  or  THE  FRENCH  Canada    West.       Beyond 

Perry's  victory  in  Lake  Erie,  which  had  given  control  of 
that  waterway  to  the  Amer 
icans,  not  the  least  advan 
tage  had  been  gained,  the 
sea  victories  themselves 
being  barren  of  other  result 
than  a  sporadic  enthusiasm 
among  Americans  and  an 
abiding  resentment  in  Eng 
land.  Canada  was  intact, 
and  likely  to  remain  so; 
Lake  Erie  was  of  no  offen 
sive  value  that  could  be  put 
into  practice;  the  British 
navy  was  as  powerful  at 
sea  as  ever. 

BIRTHPLACE  OF  JOSEPHINE,  ISLAND  or  MARTINIQUE 


350 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


While  nothing  had  been  gained,  much  had  been  lost, 
and  still  more  threatened.  The  English  navy,  unaffected 
by  the  trifling  losses  that  had  been  inflicted  on  it  through 
sea  duels,  was  blockading  the  entire  coast  of  America,  from 
Maine  to  New  Orleans.  Squadrons  lay  off  every  port; 
shipping  was  throttled;  even  American  war-ships  lay  help 
less  at  their  berths,  unable  to  get  to  sea.  Eastport  and 
Nantucket  had  been  captured  by  the  English;  eastern 
Maine  was  overrun  and  proclaimed  English  territory; 
Admiral  Cochrane  was  laying  waste  the  shores  of  the  Chesa 
peake;  the  Delaware  was  sealed  against  commerce;  the 
capital  itself  was  threatened  with  capture  and  destruction. 
Napoleon,  overwhelmed  at  last  by  weight  of  the  numbers  he 

had  raised 
against  him 
self,  had  ab 
dicated  the 
French 
throne  and 
been  sent  to 
Elba.  Devo 
tion  to  the 
republican 
principle  had 
fired  France 
with  an  en 
thusiasm  that 
went  far  to- 
ward  con 
quering  the 
world.  The 
dynasties  of 
Europe  saw 

NAPOLEON'S  FAREWELL  TO  JOSEPHINE,  1809  their       power 


LETTERS  FROM  A  HERO  351 

waning,  and  coalition  after  coalition  sought  to  restore  kingly 
prestige.  Unfortunately  Napoleon,  led  away  by  his  vaulting 
ambitions,  played  right  into  the  hands  of  his  inveterate 
and  implacable  foes,  and  to  this  his  downfall  may  be  directly 
traced.  He  divorced  his  empress,  Josephine,  that  he  might 
wed  the  Grand  Duchess  Maria  Louisa  of  Austria,  seeking 
alliance  with  a  great  imperial  house  in  order  to  fix  the 
Napoleonic  dynasty  upon  France.  It  resulted  only  in  an 
other  and  successful  coalition  against  him,  in  which  Austria 
was  the  chief  mover  under  British  instigation.  Freed  of 
this  dread  that  had  kept  her  occupied  for  a  score  of  years, 
England  was  able  to  turn  her  attention  to  her  troubles  in 
America,  and  in  early  summer  sent  ships  and  soldiers  to 
the  scene  of  war, — old  veterans  who  had  fought  against 
the  best  regulars  of  the  Little  Corporal. 

With  all  this  to  assail  him  from  without,  President 
Madison  was  further  disconcerted  by  a  lack  of  harmony 
within  the  nation.  New  England,  angered  by  the  loss  of  its 
shipping,  alarmed  by  the  invasion  of  Maine,  was  anxious 
for  peace  at  any  price.  An  extreme  wing  of  the  Federalist 
party  was  muttering  about  secession  and  independent  peace 
with  England.  Farmers  in  Vermont  and  New  York  were 
sending  supplies  to  British  invading  armies,  and  denying 
them  to  the  Americans;  militia-men  were  refusing  to  pass 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  States  in  which  they  had  organized, 
or  were  being  prohibited  from  doing  so  by  the  States  them 
selves;  soldiers  were  scarce,  and  scared;  finances  were  at 
the  lowest  ebb;  patriotism  seemed  submerged  beneath 
party  feeling  and  private  interest. 

The  one  hope  of  the  President  lay  in  the  operations  about 
Niagara.  At  last  he  had  men  in  charge  in  whom  it  was 
sane  to  repose  hope.  Brown,  Izard,  Scott,  Macomb,  and 
Gaines,  were  men  of  ability  and  integrity.  The  plan  was  to 
invade  Canada — a  plan  that  had  failed  miserably  heretofore 


352 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


because  of  the  manner  of  men  employed  in  carrying  it  out. 
Brown  was  to  cross  at  Niagara;  Izard  to  move  up  Lake 
Champlain,  through  Plattsburg,  and  so  to  Montreal. 

Michael  Forbeson,  commissioned  lieutenant  by  virtue 
of  his  influence  at  the  capital,  left  Washington  to  join  Gen 
eral  Brown's  army  early  in  June.  Ruth  had  a  note  from 


NAPOLEON'S  FAREWELL 


Fo  NTAI NEBLEAU 


him  when  he  arrived,  telling  how  Brown  had  marched  from 
Sackctf  s  Harbor  to  Niagara,  where  he  found  3500  men 
under  Scott,  well  drilled  and  ready  for  war,  and  intimating 
that  he  expected  soon  to  see  fighting.  Late  in  August  she 
heard  again,  this  time  more  fully. 

"My  Treasure,"  the  letter  ran,  4tif  I  may  make  so  bold 
as  to  call  you  so.  Treasure  you  are,  at  least ;  but  whether 
mine  or  not  perhaps  the  next  few  days  will  tell ;  for  we  are 
on  the  very  brink  of  battle,  unless  all  signs  fail.  Orders 
are  issued  for  a  march  to-morrow  morning,  which  will  be 
July  3.  I  do  not  know  where  we  are  going,  except  that  we  are 


LETTERS  FROM  A   HERO 


353 


going  to  fight.  The  scheme  of  the  war  is  to  march  against 
Chippewa  and  Yorktown  Heights  when  the  fleet  is  ready  on 
Lake  Ontario;  but  that  will  not  be  until  late  July,  so  that 
this  movement  will  not  be  a  part  of  the  larger  movement. 
For  my  part,  I  think  it  is  undertaken  against  Fort  Erie,  on 
the  north  side  of  Lake  Erie,  and  that  it  is  as  much  for  the 
purpose  of  keep 
ing  our  troops  in 
good  mettle  as 
any  other  one 
thing  to  be 
gained  by  it. 

"I  am  in 
B  rigadier-  Gener 
al  Scott's  brigade, 
and  a  fine  body 
of  troops  it  is,  if 
I  do  say  so  who 
should  not.  They 
are  well  trained 
and  in  good  or 
der,  thanks  to  the 
energy  of  Gen 
eral  Scott,  and 
are  willing  to 

fight,  for  the  most    NAPOLEON  SIGNING  His  ABDICATION,  AUGUST  n,  1814 

part, —  which  is  something  not  entirely  usual  in  these 
northern  armies,  it  would  seem.  For  my  part,  I  am  ready 
for  what  the  future  holds,  and  I  would  not  have  you  think 
otherwise ;  but  I  find  myself  dreading  to  die  here,  so  far  away 
from  you,  and  that  for  one  reason  which  I  can  by  no  means 
tell  you.  I  should  have  told  you  before  I  left,  but  that  I 
was  too  great  a  coward.  But  this  thing  I  ask  of  you,  Ruth 
darling:  whatever  whispers  you  may  hear  of  me  should  I 


354  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

die  to-morrow,  believe  not,  but  hold  to  the  faith  that  you 
have  in  me,  believing  always  that  I  died  loving  you,  and 
honorably.  I  can  only  hint  at  what  I  would  tell  you ;  but 
I  conjure  you  to  do  as  I  ask,  or  my  soul  will  surely  ride 
on  the  griddles  of  hell .... 

"July  7. — My  beloved,  I  take  my  pen  once  more  to 
tell  you  that  I  have  been  through  two  fights,  and  believe  that 
it  is  intended  I  shall  live,  now  that  I  have  come  through  the 
second  one.  I  had  no  chance  to  send  this  to  you  when  I 
wrote  the  first  of  it,  for  which  I  am  glad,  because  now  I  can 
add  this  much  to  it. 

"I  was  right  when  I  conjectured  that  we  should  move 
against  Fort  Erie.  We  took  the  place  with  very  little  of  a 
struggle ,  although,  God  knows,  there  was  noise  enough  for  a 
time  to  make  me  afraid.  But  now  I  have  been  baptized,  and 
battle  cannot  frighten  me  more ;  which  I  say  in  all  modesty, 
and  for  which  I  can  take  no  credit,  for  it  is  my  thinking  of 
you  that  has  made  it  so. 

"Now  I  will  tell  you  the  story  of  the  fight  we  fought. 
We  took  Fort  Erie,  as  I  have  said,  on  the  third  of  July,  and 
on  the  next  day  we  started,  with  Scott's  brigade  in  advance, 
toward  the  enemy  at  Chippewa.  The  British  were  well 
scattered  in  the  beginning,  but  were  concentrating  all  this 
time  on  the  news  of  our  advancing  against  Fort  Erie. 

"So  that  we  should  not  fall  upon  them  at  Chippewa  too 
quickly,  they  had  torn  up  and  destroyed  many  bridges  on 
the  way,  and  this  country  being  rough,  with  many  rivers  and 
ravines,  we  were  delayed  by  their  operations  so  that  we  did 
not  come  to  the  Chippewa  until  near  night,  though  the  dis 
tance  was  no  more  than  sixteen  miles.  Finding  the  enemy 
strong  in  front,  General  Scott  withdrew  his  men  to  Street's 
Creek,  a  mile  in  the  rear,  where  he  waited  for  Porter  and 
Ripley  to  come  up  with  the  other  brigades. 

"The  next  day  General  Brown,  deciding  to  bridge  the 


LETTERS  FROM  A  HERO  357 

river  above  the  British  position  and  attack  them,  sent  Gen 
eral  Porter  with  some  Indians  and  volunteers  through  the 
woods  toward  the  river.  There  they  ran  into  a  body  of 
British  that  made  them  turn  and  flee.  The  fugitives  came 
into  our  camp  in  the  midst  of  a  jubilee  that  General  Scott 
had  got  ready  to  celebrate  the  nation's  birthday — a  great 
feast,  and  somewhat  to  drink,  but  little  of  food.  By  great 
good  fortune  the  eating  was  done,  and  the  troops  had  formed 
in  line,  ready  to  cross  the  creek,  where  there  was  to  be  a 
review. 

"The  fugitives,  running  into  our  camp,  cried  out  that 
the  British  army  was  crossing  to  attack.  This  General 
Scott  did  not  believe,  but  marched  forward  to  cross  the 
bridge  over  Street's  Creek,  as  he  had  first  intended.  I  was 
not  far  from  the  head  of  the  column.  When  we  came  to  the 
bridge  there  burst  out  upon  us  from  the  other  side  a  blast 
of  artillery  that  shook  us  on  our  feet,  and  swept  death  against 
the  head  of  the  column.  Men  fell  groaning  about  me ;  shot 
screamed  over  my  head;  the  air  was  split  into  fragments 
with  the  roaring  of  the  guns. 

"I  saw  my  men  looking  at  one  another  with  whitening 
faces,  and  knew  they  felt  sick  at  the  stomach,  just  as  I  did. 
Would  you  believe  that  I  found  it  hard  to  keep  on  my  feet 
at  all  ?  Nevertheless,  thinking  of  you  and  what  I  must  do 
to  earn  your  regard,  I  waved  my  sword  above  my  head  with 
a  great  sweep,  as  brave  to  all  appearances  as  the  bravest, 
and  shouted  to  them  to  come  on.  And  come  they  did,  like 
noble  lads. 

"Then  we  did  a  thing  that,  I  am  told,  is  very  hard  to  do, 
and  hard  enough  we  found  it,  I  '11  be  bound.  We  formed 
in  line  of  battle  on  the  far  side  of  the  stream,  where  was  an 
open  space,  with  the  fire  of  the  enemy  always  upon  us. 
Company  after  company,  passing  the  bridge,  wheeled  into  its 
place,  as  though  on  parade,  men  dropping  from  the  ranks  the 


358 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


while  like  sick  flies,  not  at  all  like  parade,  until  all  was  in 
order,  and  we  were  told  to  charge.  For  this  manceuver  we 
have  only  General  Scott  to  thank ,  for  he  had  so  drilled  the 
men  that  they  moved  like  one  machine. 

"The  enemy  was  in  force;  that  we  could  see.     General 
Riall  had  no  mind  to  wait  to  be  routed  out,  but  was  coming 
to  chastise  us,   taking  the  advantage  of 
the  first  blow.    Although  he  perceived 
that  the  British  were  in  full  force,  and 
outnumbered    him,   General    Scott 
did  not  delay  or  hesitate,  but  went 
at  once  into  the  fight,  determined 
that  what  we  lacked  in  numbers 
we  should  make  up  in  aggression. 
At  the    same    moment   that   we 
moved     forward,      the      enemy 
charged  also ;  so  that  we  came  at 
each  other  across  the  fields  like  two 
great    snarling,   crawling,  spitting 
beasts.     I  shall  not  soon  forget  the 
din,  though  I  forgot  it  at  the  time 
and  forgot  that  death  was  behind  the 
sound  of  it.     Men  fell  all  about  me ; 
some  with  a  sob,  and  some  with  a 
1  one   with  a  laugh,  which, 

by  Charles  ingham)  God  help  me,  will  go  to  my  grave  in 
my  ears.  It  had  in  it  all  the  horrors  of  war. 

"I  went  at  the  head  of  my  troops,  who  were  advancing 
and  firing  at  intervals.  I  found  myself  walking  more  slowly 
as  we  came  nearer,  and  wondering  when  this  thing  was  going 
to  stop,  this  crawling  together  of  two  hating,  snarling,  snap 
ping,  roaring  dragons.  I  was  well  at  the  end  of  the  line,  on 
the  left  flank.  Looking  across  our  front,  I  could  see  it  sag 
ging.  I  wondered  whether  it  was  going  to  break.  In  the 


MAJOR-GENERAL  WINFIELD   curse 
SCOTT    (From  the  portrait  ' 


LETTERS  FROM  A  HERO  359 

moment  I  saw  that  the  enemy  sagged  too  in  the  middle, 
and  was  reassured. 

"We  were  very  close  now,  so  close  that  I  could  make 
out  the  faces  of  the  enemy  when  the  smoke  gave  me  a  sight 
of  them,  and  could  have  known  a  friend  among  them,  if 
there  had  been  one ;  which,  thank  God,  there  was  not.  That 
is  a  horrible  thing,  to  look  into  the  eyes  of  the  man  you  are 
killing,  and  see  the  look  of  death  come  into  them  to  peer  out 
at  you;  to  see  a  face  wrinkle  and  writhe  in  torment,  and  to 
know  that  behind  the  torment  lay  your  own  bullet,  and  be 
hind  the  bullet  your  will  to  kill. 

"But  I  am  afraid  we  had  not  such  thoughts  at  the  time, 
for  we  had  no  more  than  come  to  such  a  position  against 
them  when  our  men,  with  a  yell,  rushed  upon  them,  bayo 
nets  fixed,  and  fell  into  a  melee  with  them  that  was  for  all 
the  world  like  a  Donnybrook  fair,  but  more  bloody.  There 
was  clubbing  and  swearing  and  sweating,  and  grapplings 
by  the  throat ;  but  the  difference  was  that  here  flashed  cold 
steel,  which  is  a  thing  never  seen  in  a  fair  fight  among  the 
Irish.  But  Irish  though  I  am,  I  found  myself  using  the 
steel,  and  felt  it  pricking  its  way  through  — but  this  is  a 
thing  you  will  not  like  to  read  about.  It  is  enough  to  say 
that  the  enemy  shortly  broke  and  fled,  we  having  touched 
them  upon  the  other  flank  in  the  same  manner.  Two  days 
later  we  drove  them  from  their  camp  on  the  Chippewa, 
following  as  far  as  Queenston,  where  we  now  hold  a  strong 
position.  We  are  waiting  for  Chauncey  to  be  ready  with 
his  fleet,  for  without  that  we  can  do  little  more.  At  the  same 
time,  the  British  are  being  daily  augmented,  many  old 
soldiers  arriving  from  the  Napoleonic  wars,  which  are  now 
brought  to  a  close.  I  never  before  thought  I  should  be  sorry 
to  see  the  wretch  conquered ;  now  I  wish  it  might  have  been 
done  at  another  time. 

"In  our  fight  with  the  English  at  Chippewa  we  lost  297 


360  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

men  killed  and  wounded,  while  they  lost  515,  a  discrepancy 
due  largely  to  the  better  marksmanship  of  our  soldiers.  And 
now,  my  beloved,  farewell  for  a  space.  There  is  like  to  be 
other  fighting.  I  have  arranged  with  a  friend,  Captain 
Scoggin,  to  send  you  any  word  that  I  may  be  prevented 
from  sending  myself.  I  hope  you  will  join  me  in  praying 
God  that  he  will  have  no  need  to  bear  a  message  to  you. 
"  Yours  in  the  proof, 

"MICHAEL  FORBESON,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  A." 

Three  weeks  passed;  the  battle  of  Lundy's  Lane  had 
been  fought,  and  no  news  from  the  front  for  Ruth!  At  last 
came  a  letter,  but  the  sight  of  it  sent  a  shudder  through  her, 
for  it  was  in  another  hand  than  his.  She  opened  it  with  a 
dead  feeling  of  guilt  upon  her,  and  looked  at  it  in  a  vacant 
way,  dreading  to  read.  The  first  words  reassured  her  some 
what  ,  though  before  she  laid  it  down  again  her  worst  appre 
hensions  were  aroused  for  the  safety  of  the  man  whom  she 
now  accepted  as  her  lover. 

"You  will  perhaps  be  startled  at  first  to  have  a  letter 
from  me  written  in  another  hand,"  the  letter  read,  after  a 
salutation  more  formal  than  those  that  had  opened  his 
previous  epistles,  "so  I  hasten  to  assure  you  that  it  is  nothing 
more  than  a  ball  through  my  shoulder  that  feels  for  the  better 
part  of  the  time  like  a  hot  ramrod,  and  makes  it  impossible 
for  me  to  use  my  fingers.  My  old  friend  Captain  Scoggin  is 
writing  this  for  me,  seated  at  the  side  of  my  cot  in  Fort  Erie ; 
for  they  have  put  me  to  bed  for  a  space.  You  may  think  it 
strange  for  me  to  be  calling  him  my  old  friend,  when  I  never 
laid  eyes  on  him  until  this  summer;  but  when  two  men  go 
through  such  thick  places  as  we  two  have  been  through 
within  the  fortnight,  't  is  like  they  will  be  thick  friends  from 
thenceforth. 

"We  have  had  stirring  times  here  since  I  last  wrote  you 


LETTERS  FROM  A  HERO 


361 


from  Queenston.  It  seemed  for  a  while  that  the  whole  of 
the  British  Empire  was  like  to  pour  hot  shot  down  the  backs 
of  our  necks,  but  we  have  more  than  stood  them  off  in  the 
long  run,  for  all  that  we  are  back  here  at  Fort  Erie,  where 
we  began.  In  that  argument  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that 
the  British  are 
also  back  where 
they  began,  and 
in  sore  straits 
too,  from  all  we 
hear  of  them. 

"For  two 
weeks  we  lay  at 
Queenston,  Gen 
eral  Brown  un 
ready  to  move 
until  Commo 
dore  Chauncey 
should  be  pre 
pared  with  the 
fleet  on  Lake 
Ontario.  He  had 
had  experience 
of  military  ma- 
nceuvers  without 
the  aid  of  the 
fleet  on  the  year 
before,  had  Brown,  and  he  was  loath  to  move  too  soon. 
Meanwhile  the  British  army  was  daily  growing  stronger, 
notably  by  the  addition  of  General  Drummond  and  some 
regiments  that  had  had  their  eye  teeth  cut  on  the  sabers  of 
Napoleon's  cavalry,  and  knew  more  than  to  run  from  gun 
fire,  as  we  were  afterward  to  learn. 

"On  July  twenty-fifth  General  Brown,  made  nervous  by 


JACOB  BROWN    (From  the  portrait  by  J.  W.  Jarvis) 


362 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


the  increase  in  the  enemy's  strength  and  the  continued 
absence  of  the  fleet,  fell  back  upon  our  old  position  of 
Chippewa.  Hearing  that  a  force  was  coming  up  the  Ameri 
can  side  of  the  river,  he  sent  General  Scott  with  his  brigade 
along  the  Canadian  bank  to  threaten  the  rear  of  the  advan 
cing  column, 
and  turn  them 
back.  I  was 
with  t  h  e 
troops,  of 
course,  being 
still  in  the 
brigade- 
with  the  rank, 
by  the  way, 
of  major  now , 
a  circum 
stance  that  I 
would  not 
mention  from 
vanity  unless 
I  hoped  it 
might  lead 
you  to  show 
me  the  great 
er  favor  as 

being,  perhaps,  some  evidence  of  my  having  furnished  the 
proof  you  asked  of  me. 

"It  was  five  in  the  afternoon  when  we  set  out,  my  regiment 
being  in  the  van.  We  had  not  gone  far  when  there  came  to 
us  word  that  the  enemy  was  in  camp  below  the  falls,  not  far 
ahead  of  us.  This  was  surprising  news  to  General  Scott, 
who  had  no  word  of  any  force  in  his  front ;  but  he  was  not 
the  sort  of  man  to  hesitate,  and  we  went  to  seek  for  trouble. 


WILLIAM  EUSTIS,  SECRETARY  OF  WAR 

by  J.  N.  Daniels) 


(From  the  portrait 


LETTERS  FROM   A  HERO  363 

Presently  we  saw  the  enemy  in  force.  We  learned  later  that 
it  was  General  Riall,  with  a  force  that  had  followed  Brown 
when  he  retired  from  Queenston. 

"When  we  were  still  approaching  and  at  a  distance,  the 
British  troops  began  to  move  off.  'Run  them  down!'  cried 
General  Scott,  riding  to  the  head  of  the  line.  'Do  not  let 
them  slink  away  like  cowards!'  So  we  were  after  them, 
pellmell  down  the  hill  and  up  the  other  side  of  the  valley, 
when  we  ran  plump  into  the  foe,  who  had  stood  after  all, 
General  Drummond  having  come  up  and  countermanded 
the  orders  for  a  retreat  issued  by  General  Riall. 

"  There,  on  that  hill  near  Lundy's  Lane  that  evening, 
you  would  have  thought  the  world  was  in  a  frying-pan. 
Never  have  I  heard  such  a  sputtering  of  gun-fire  in  my  life, 
and  never  do  I  wish  to  do  so  again.  We  held  on  to  the  shelf 
of  the  hill  like  terriers,  growling  away  the  while,  with  the 
foe  giving  us  back  as  good,  until  we  both  ceased,  from  sheer 
exhaustion,  with  nothing  acccomplished  on  either  hand  but 
many  sudden  deaths.  And  there  we  lay,  in  the  hushful 
evening,  with  the  twilight  dying  out  of  the  sky,  and  the  whole 
world  thinking  of  nothing  but  peace  and  sleep;  for  it  was 
late  when  we  began  the  slaughter,  and  by  now  was  full 
nine  o'clock. 

uBy  degrees,  as  we  lay  there,  the  pot  began  to  boil  again. 
Little  pops  of  firing  came  from  here  and  there  in  the  line, 
lighting  up  the  dusk  and  echoing  across  the  somber  hills. 
Presently,  on  the  left,  the  noise  became  more  portentous, 
until  at  last  we  knew  the  battle  was  on  again.  Fresh  troops 
had  come  up,  and  were  going  in.  Then  there  happened 
something  which  I  shall  liken  to  the  tearing  of  a  strip  of 
cloth,  so  that  you  may  have  a  better  understanding.  Away 
on  the  left,  where  the  trouble  was  renewing  itself,  started 
a  rattle  of  musketry  in  volley,  a  solid  crash  of  noise,  which 
came  along  the  line  in  an  even  progress,  making  me  think 


364  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

as  it  came  to  our  regiment  and  passed  off  of  that  which  I  have 
mentioned  — the  tearing  of  heavy  cloth.  Brrrp!  it  went 
by,  and  the  battle  was  on  again. 

"I  was  with  the  regiment,  watching  and  directing  the 
disposition  of  the  companies  from  time  to  time,  when  there 
came  an  order  to  advance  upon  the  hill,  the  enemy  having 
been  routed  from  his  guns  by  a  charge  on  his  right,  and  being 
in  retreat  all  along  the  front.  When  we  started  for  the  crest 
I  must  say  that  it  did  not  seem  to  me  that  they  were  leaving 
with  any  startling  alacrity,  and  it  was  then  that  I  felt  the 
shot  that  has  wounded  me;  but  by  the  time  we  arrived  at 
the  top  of  the  hill,  where  the  foe  had  been  a  moment  before, 
we  found  the  ground  deserted.  They  had  disappeared. 

"Now  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  day  was  over,  and  I  was 
thinking  of  looking  about  me  for  a  surgeon  to  attend  to  my 
wound,  which  was  thumping  and  hot,  when  there  came 
crashing  out  of  the  woods  before  us  a  whole  army  of  British, 
rushing  right  up  to  us,  as  though  the  day  had  just  begun. 
We  gave  them  what  they  came  for,  and  sent  them  stumbling 
back;  but  it  was  a  horrid  thing  on  both  sides.  Men  fell 
like  blades  before  a  reaper;  I  saw  three  strike  together  in 
falling,  and  roll  in  one  silent  heap.  It  was  pitch  dark  by 
now,  but  in  the  flare  of  the  guns  we  could  see  the  buttons  on 
the  red  coats,  and  could  see  the  eyes  glaring  at  us  from  out 
the  heads  of  the  enemy.  That,  as  I  have  told  you,  I  do  not 
like.  And  I  am  afraid,  too,  that  I  have  too  tender  a  heart 
for  a  true  soldier. 

"  Twice  more  the  British  came  at  us  in  the  same  way, 
striving  more  particularly  to  reach  us  on  the  left,  where  were 
the  guns  we  had  driven  them  from.  Twice  more  we  sent 
them  reeling  down  the  dark  slope  up  which  they  had  come ; 
but  the  thing  was  not  to  be  endured.  Of  our  army  not  more 
than  700  remained  in  position.  Brown  and  Scott  were  both 
wounded.  At  midnight  General  Brown  led  the  army  back 


LETTERS  FROM  A   HERO 


365 


into  their  old  camp,  two  miles  away,  in  good  order;  but  when 
we  sent  back  for  the  guns  that  had  been  captured,  the 
British  were  found  in  possession  of  the  hill,  from  which  we 
had  driven  them  with  such  heavy  cost,  and  nothing  was 
gained. 

"From  there  we  returned  to  Fort  Erie,  General  Ripley 
having  taken  command  because  of  the  wounds  from  which 
both  General  Brown  and  General  Scott  suffered,— 

Reading  to  this  point,  Ruth  gave  a  little  cry,  and  covered 
her  eyes  with  the  back  of  her  hand;  for  the  letter  came  to 
a  full  stop,  and  was  continued  by  the  amanuensis,  writing 
for  himself.  Steadying  herself,  she  read  on,  expecting  to 
learn  the  worst  that  could  be  told  her. 

"Dear  Madam,"  it  continued,  "I  should  be  very  un 
willing  to  cause  you  any  unnecessary  alarm,  but  my  dear 
friend  Major  Forbeson  having  exacted  from  me  a  promise 
that  I  would  communicate  with  you  in  case  it  became  im 
possible  for  him  to  do  so,  and  he  having  taken  his  narrative 
this  far  in  my  hands,  I  feel  con- 
it  to  the  present,  with  what  additional 
part,  however  loath  I  may  be  to  do 

"At  the  point  of  interruption  in 
the  letter  above,  the  major  gave  a 
gasp  and  rolled  from  the  pillow 
on  which  he  had  been  propped 
while  he  dictated  the  letter  to 
me.     I  was   certain    for    a 
moment  that  he 
was  dead ;  but 
discovering 
presently  that 
he    had     no 
more     than 
swooned,      I 

SOLDIERS'  MONUMENT  ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD  OF  LUNDY'S 
LANE,  ONTARIO 


strained  to  bring 
news   I   can  im- 


so. 


366  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

sent  for  a  surgeon,  who  came  at  once  and  worked  over  him 
as  he  would  a  brother.  He  was  rewarded  presently  by  restor 
ing  our  friend  to  consciousness;  or,  at  least,  to  a  more  active 
state  of  body;  but  the  new  condition  was  that  of  fever.  He 
has  been  lying  in  his  fever  now  for  two  days,  in  which  I  have 
postponed  completing  and  forwarding  the  letter,  thinking 
perhaps  I  might  have  more  definite  word  to  impart  to  you 
at  any  time.  I  shall  delay  no  longer,  for  it  is  a  matter  of 
complete  uncertainty  when  he  will  come  to  any  change. 
Meanwhile,  I  can  assure  you  that  he  has  considerable  com 
forts  and  all  the  care  he  could  receive  anywhere,  and  that 
for  the  present  there  need  be  no  occasion  for  too  grave 
apprehension  of  the  final  outcome  of  his  illness.  I  shall 
inform  you  at  once  of  any  change  that  is  decisive.  I  would 
strongly  advise  against  your  coming  here,  if  the  thought  has 
occurred  to  you,  for  the  trip  would  be  an  ordeal,  and  you 
could  hardly  be  received  in  the  fort  as  you  should  be.  More 
over,  by  the  time  you  arrived  the  thing  will  be  decided,  one 
way  or  another.  Rest  assured  that  everything  will  be  done 
possible  for  our  friend. 

"  Hoping  to  be  the  bearer  of  better  news  soon,  I  beg  to 
remain,  with  great  respect, 

"Your  humble  servant  to  command, 

"ANDREW  SCOGGIN,  Captain,  U.  S.  A." 


CHAPTER  VIII 


RETALIATION 

RUTH    GARDNER,    depressed    and    heavy    spirited, 
wandered    absently  down    Pennsylvania    Avenue  to 
ward  the  White  House,  returning  from  a  visit  to  Leonora 
Stevens,  to  whom  she  had  gone  with 
that  human  instinct  which  com 
pels  the  stricken  to  seek  compan 
ionship.      She  had  hoped  to 
get  away  from  herself  for  a 
time,  to  obtain  some  peace 
of  mind  in  the  unhappiness 
and    uneasiness    that    had 
possessed  her  since  the  re 
ceipt    of    Michael's    latest 
letter.     She  had  been  dis 
appointed;     she   had   only 
witnessed  a  quarrel  between 
Leonora  and  Simon 
Thwaite. 

Walking    up     Pennsyl 
vania  Avenue  in  an  absent 
mood,  Ruth  was    presently 
aware  of  a    commotion  on 

the    Street  —  excited     groups          JAMES  MONROE    (From  Vanderlyn's  portrait) 

gathering  at  corners ;  men  rushing  to  and  fro ;  messengers 
dashing  past ;  women  standing  about  in  their  aprons,  and 
hatless ;  children  clinging  to  their  skirts,  open-eyed,  speechless. 
"What  is  the  excitement?"  she  inquired  of  a  woman 
who  stood  with  a  child  in  her  arms  at  the  edge  of  a  group. 

367 


368 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


"Where  have  you  been  that  you  have  not  heard?" 
returned  the  woman.  "The  British  are  coming.  There 
is  a  fleet  of  fifty  sail  at  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac." 

Ruth  did  not  stop  to  hear  more,  but  hastened  toward  the 
White  House.  In  the  grounds  she  met  General  William  H. 
Winder,  lately  appointed  by  the  President  to  command  the 
defenses  of  Washington.  He  had  a  wild,  distracted  look. 
Ruth  hailed  him. 

"What  is  the  news  I  hear?"  she  asked.  "Is  it  true  that 
the  British  are  coming?" 

He  looked  vacantly  at  her  for  a  moment  before  he  replied. 
"Oh,  I  do  not  know!"  he  cried.  "I  cannot  tell;  we  know 
nothing.  There  is  a  report  that  a  great  fleet  is  sailing  up 
the  Potomac.  Yes,  I  presume  they  will  come  this  way.  I 
have  been  to  see  your  father." 

"You  mean  the  President?"  Ruth  corrected. 

"Yes,  yes,  Mr..  Madison.  We  must  prepare  some  de 
fense.  If  they  had  waited,  if  they  had  not  come  so 
soon,  we  should  have  been  ready  for  them.  I  was  about 
to  begin  an  elaborate  system  of  defense, —  forts,  and 
ditches,  and  what  not." 


RELICS  OF  THE  BRIDGE  AT  THE   FOOT  OF    PENNSYLVANIA  AVENUE,  WASHING 
TON,  BURNED  BY  THE  BRITISH 


RETALIATION 


369 


"Perhaps,  if  you  send  them  word,  they  will  wait  until 
you  can  do  this,"  said  Ruth,  bitterly.     She  knew  the  man's 
incompetency;  that  he  had  been  up  and  down  the  country 
for  two  months  since  he  was  appointed,  looking  for  sites  for 
fortifications,  without  settling  upon  one;    that  he  had 
organized    no    defense   of  any   sort;    that   there    were 
barely  500    regu-  , 
lars   and   only   a  | 
few    marines     to 
protect    the    city 
against    the    vet 
erans  of  Welling- 
ton's  army  whom  I 
the  English  were 
sending     over. 
Knowing  this,  she 
was  resentful. 

Winder  took 
her  suggestion 
with  some  sur  - 
prise,  and  seemed  to  be  considering  the  feasibility  of  it  for 
a  moment.  In  the  end  he  shook  his  head  sadly,  and  hurried 
on,  muttering  to  himself  again  as  he  went,  and  waving  the 
cluttered  papers  through  the  air.  Ruth,  watching  him  for  a 
moment  with  a  half-pitying  contempt,  entered  the  White 
House  and  sought  out  Dolly  Madison. 

There  was  probably  no  calmer  soul  in  Washington  that 
night  and  through  the  next  few  days  than  Dolly  Madison. 
The  President  was  frightened,  though  he  made  a  brave  show 
of  courage,  even  to  his  wife.  The  cabinet  was  alarmed  and 
uncertain  what  to  do.  General  Winder  sat  in  his  office  in 
the  midst  of  orders  and  suggestions  and  advice,  rumpling 
his  hair,  sighing,  and  falling  into  more  and  more  hopeless 
confusion.  The  people  of  the  city  went  through  the  streets, 


THE  BATTLEFIELD 
AT  BLADENSBURG, 
MARYLAND 


370 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


dragging  their  valuables  to  places  of  safety,  preparing  for 
flight,  remembering  what  had  befallen  Havre  de  Grace. 
Panic  was  rampant;  but  Dolly  Madison  was  quiet,  impart 
ing  a  calm  courage  to  those  about  her. 

The  next  day  came  word  that  the  British  general  Ross 
had  landed  at  Benedict,  on  Chesapeake  Bay.     The  news 


THE  BRITISH  IN  THE  STREETS  or  WASHINGTON    (From  an  old  print) 

threw  the  city  and  the  government  into  worse  disorder. 
The  President  sent  out  requisitions  for  the  militia  of  the 
surrounding  States;  men  of  Washington  rushed  to  arms; 
General  Winder,  with  James  Monroe,  who  had  fought  in  the 
Revolution,  and  still  had  military  aspirations,  went  out  to 
the  Wood  Yard,  down  the  river,  to  rendezvous  the  troops. 
They  could  see  the  British  marching  to  Upper  Marlboro, 
serene  and  undisturbed  through  the  August  woods,  as  if 
they  were  soldiers  on  a  holiday. 

General  Winder,  rumpling  his  hair,  was  approached  by 
men  from  Washington,  organized  into  militia,  who  asked  to 
be  allowed  to  prepare  a  defense.  Pleased  with  the  fancy, 


RETALIATION 


Winder,  with  the  British  already  at  the  doors  of  the  city,  went 
to  work  to  fortify,  throwing  up  some  breastworks  with  a 
ditch  or  two  at  Bladensburg.  Bladensburg  is  at  the  head 
of  the  East  Branch,  on  the  road  from  Upper  Marlboro, 
where  the  enemy 
were,  to  Washing 
ton,  and  the  site 
of  the  only  cross 
ing  at  that  time, 
except  the  long 
bridge  at  the 
mouth  of  the 
Branch,  near  the 
navy  yard. 

Convinced 
that  this  was  the 

place  where  a  bat-    SMOOT  HOUSE,  WHERE  DOLLY  MADISON  RESTED  OVER- 
i  j     ^  NIGHT 

tie    would    be 

fought,  Winder  withdrew  from  the  Wood  Yard  on  Mon 
day  to  Old  Fields,  four  miles  in  the  rear  and  on  the  road  to 
Bladensburg.  Here  he  was  met  at  midnight  by  the  Presi 
dent,  and  by  Jones,  secretary  of  the  navy,  Armstrong,  secre 
tary  of  war,  and  Rush,  the  attorney-general.  Tuesday  he 
rode  about  all  the  morning,  and  concluded  from  observation 
that  Ross  would  not  march  that  day.  Believing  this,  he 
set  out  for  Bladensburg  to  see  how  things  were  going  for 
ward  there.  He  had  not  been  gone  an  hour  before  Ross 
appeared  before  the  American  lines.  Battle  was  formed 
on  both  sides,  and  would  have  been  joined,  if  the  defender 
of  Washington,  inadvertently  sent  for,  had  not  returned  in 
time  to  order  a  retreat. 

The  retreat  was  Winder's  masterpiece  in  blundering. 
He  fell  back  on  the  navy  yard  at  the  mouth  of  East  Branch, 
which  was  unapproachable  to  the  enemy,  being  naturally 


372  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

defended  by  the  width  of  the  stream  and  the  length  of  the 
bridge  across,  and  further  defended  by  the  guns  of  vessels 
at  the  yards  and  500  marines  under  Barney.  This  ma- 
nceuver  left  unwatched  the  road  around  the  head  of  the 
stream,  through  Bladensburg. 

Meanwhile,  in  the  village  of  Washington,  dismay  and 
panic  walked  hand  in  hand.  Banks  sent  their  specie  out  of 
town;  citizens  loaded  carts  and  wagons  with  valuables  and 
sent  them  into  the  country;  many  buried  their  silver  and 
jewels.  In  the  White  House,  Dolly  Madison  and  Ruth 
waited  for  news  from  the  front,  the  President  having  gone 
away  on  Monday  to  join  General  Winder. 

Two  notes  had  come  from  Madison  to  his  wife,  written 
in  pencil.  One  told  her  to  be  ready  to  leave  the  city;  that 
the  enemy  was  stronger  than  was  supposed;  that  it  might 
happen  they  would  reach  the  capital  with  the  intention  of 
destroying  it.  Great  bustle  followed.  Dolly  Madison 
packed  the  cabinet  papers  in  trunks  and  sent  them  off  in  a 
carriage,  which  they  completely  filled. 

Now  sounds  of  distant  cannon  reached  the  White  House. 
It  was  the  beginning  of  the  farce  at  Bladensburg;  the 
farce  that  was  called  a  defence  of  a  capital  city.  Ross, 
marching  from  Upper  Marlboro  upon  the  rabble  that  had 
gathered  there  with  muskets  and  enthusiasm,  sent  a  brigade 
across  the  bridge.  The  Americans,  in  line  on  the  crest  of 
a  green  hill,  fired,  holding  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  until 
others  came  up.  Whereupon  the  advancing  foe  sent  some 
Congreve  rockets  sputtering  into  the  ranks  that  had  been 
on  the  hill,  but  the  ranks  were  no  longer  there, — they-  were 
scattered  along  the  road  toward  Georgetown  in  an  order 
determined  by  the  respective  speeds  of  the  components' 
members.  Well  in  advance  was  President  Madison,  with 
his  secretaries  about  him.  A  moment  before  the  rockets 
were  fired  he  had  said  to  Monroe:  "It  would  now  be 


RETALIATION  375 

proper  for  us  to  retire  to  the  rear,  leaving  the  military  move 
ments  to  military  men,"  meaning,  perhaps,  the  British. 

One  stand  was  made  against  the  invaders.  The  sailors 
and  marines  under  Barney,  who  had  obtained  from  General 
Winder  a  reluctant  permission  to  join  the  fight,  came  up 
from  the  navy  yard  after  their  friends  were  on  their  way  to 
Georgetown,  unlimbered  some  field  pieces  they  had  got 
hold  of,  and  opened  up  on  the  English  troops.  Three  times 
they  repulsed  a  direct  assault,  but  were  finally  dislodged  by 
a  flank  movement  through  a  ravine. 

Dolly  Madison  and  Ruth,  "in  the  White  House,  heard 
the  firing,  and  waited  for  news  from  the  field.  At  3 
o'clock  two  messengers  came,  covered  with  dust,  to  tell  them 
to  fly,  but  Dolly  Madison  would  not  go  until  her  husband 
had  returned.  Some  one  brought  a  wagon,  which  they  filled 
with  silver  plate,  urns,  and  valuables  of  bulk.  Early  that 
da)  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  had  come  to  the  White 
House,  anxious  about  the  portrait  of  George  Washington, 
painted  by  Stuart,  which  hung  in  the  dining-room.  At  the 
last  moment,  Mrs.  Madison  had  a  servant  knock  the  frame 
from  the  wall,  there  being  no  time  to  unscrew  it,  take  out 
the  canvas,  and  roll  it  up.  This  was  piled  into  the  wagon 
with  the  rest  and  carted  to  Georgetown.  That  done,  the 
coach  was  ordered  up  and  they  drove  off. 

The  noise  of  battle  had  ceased.  They  knew  the  conflict 
had  ended  and  how,  because  they  saw  frightened  men  hurry 
ing  along  the  way,  "groups  of  military,  wandering  in  all 
directions,  as  if  there  were  lack  of  arms  or  spirit  to  fight  for 
their  own  firesides,"  as  Mrs.  Madison  described  them  after 
ward.  The  party  had  driven  only  a  short  distance  when 
Mrs.  Madison,  who  had  been  silent  for  a  time,  said  to  the 
coachman:  " Drive  back  to  the  White  House."  Drive  back 
she  would,  in  spite  of  the  whole  British  army,  which  more 
than  one  told  her  was  on  the  heels  of  her  husband. 


376 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


But  there  was  some  distance  between  his  heels  and  the 
head  of  their  column.  He  was  found  at  the  White  House, 
where  he  had  stopped  for  a  few  minutes,  making  arrange 
ments  to  meet  his  wife  on  the  morrow.  Thence  he  went 
through  the  grounds  to  the  river,  where  he  took  boat  for 
Virginia,  accompanied  by  the  secretary  of  state  and  the 
attorney- general.  Dolly  Madison,  accompanying  him  to 
the  river,  watched  him  until  he  was  out  of  sight  across  the 
waters  in  the  gathering  dusk.  The  head  of  the  nation  had 
fled  from  the  enemy  in  his  capital.  "Poor  James!  Poor 
James!"  she  sighed,  throwing  her  arms  about  Ruth,  who 
stood  near  her,  "I  fear  he  was  never  meant  to  be  a  soldier!" 

There  followed  a  wild  night  in  the  city  of  Washington. 
The  invaders,  finding  no  further  opposition,  marched 
leisurely  to  the  edge  of  the  town.  Soon  the  streets  were 
filled  with  knots  of  redcoats,  boisterous,  rough  worded, 
making  mirth  in  the  enemy's  capital.  Citizens  cowered 
about,  slinking  away  fearful  for  their  lives 
those,  that  is,  who  had  not  taken  advan 
tage  of  an  earlier  opportunity. 


THE  OLD  CANNON  IN  BALTIMORE  TO-DAY 


RETALIATION 


377 


Ruth  Gardner,  gazing  through  the  window  of  the  house 
where  they  had  taken  refuge,  saw  a  sudden  lurid  light  lift 
into  the  sky;  saw  bellying  smoke;  saw  tongues  of  fire  lap 
across  it,  from  the  direction  of  Washington.  She  looked 
again  and  saw,  outlined  in  the  glare,  the  capitol!  The 
British  were  burning  it. 

Another  flaring  glare  illuminated  the  night.  The  White 
House  was  in  flames!  Another  and  another  were  seen,  and 
men  asked.  uAre  the  British  giving  the  whole  city  to  the 
flames?" 

Ruth,  watching  with  a  heavy  heart,  saw  a  flash  of  light 
split  the  sky,  and  heard  a  mighty  rumbling  roar.  She 
started,  wondering  what  might  be  the  cause,  believing  some 
arsenal  or  ship  had  been  blown  up.  As  she  wondered, 
the  flash  and  crash  came  again.  She  saw  that  it  was  a 
white  light,  and  knew  then  it  was  lightning. 

flames 

that  were  mounting  the  sky,  she 
they  looked  twisted  and  torn, 
writhed  in  the  grip  of  the  wind, 
moment  a  dash  of  rain  sprinkled 
the  pane,  by  the  violence  of  its 
sending  her  back  with  a  start. 

Swiftly  the  storm  rose.     The 
air  was  filled  with  driving  rain; 
trees    tugged    madly  at   their 
roots,    thrash- <N  ing    the 
night  sky  with 
their  branch 
es.   The  noise 
became     ter 
rific.       Sand, 
rain,     leaves, 

and   branches  THF  BATTLE  MONUMENT  AT  BALTIMORE,  ERECTED  IN  1815 


observed  that 
that    they 
In  another 
against 
attack 


378 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


of  trees  beat  against  the  house  and  the  window.  Overhead 
the  wind  howled  as  though  it  would  vent  its  anger  on 
the  invading  army;  the  house  creaked  and  groaned. 
Through  it  all  the  lightning  traced  its  fretwork,  thunder 
bellowing  behind. 

All  night  long  the  light  in  the  city  leapt  red-tongued 
under  the  lash  of  the  wind;  all  night,  but  growing  fainter 
and  fainter  as  the  dawn  came,  and  with  it  peace  was  in  the 
air.  Then,  with  dun  clouds  hanging  above  the  capital, 
and  the  earth  disheveled  all  about,  Dolly  Madison  set  out 
to  search  the  woods  of  Virginia  for  the  President  of  the 
United  States. 


THE  RUINED  CAPITOL  IN  1815 


CHAPTER  IX 
RUTH   REACHES  A  DECISION 

NICHOLAS    SNELL,  sauntering  along  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  toward  the  house  where  the  President  had 
taken  up  his  residence  since  the  burning  of  the  White  House, 
was  in  high  spirits.     It  mattered  little  to  him  that  the  capital 
of  the  country  had  been  sacked,  that  the  chief  of  the  nation 


THE  OLD  PATENT  OFFICE  AT  WASHINGTON    (From  a  pen  drawing} 

was  a  fugitive  in  a  hut  in  the  woods,  that  the  nation  was 
gnashing  its  teeth  in  angry  shame.  His  own  little  plans  and 
plots  were  going  forward  nicely,  and  life  was  therefore  sat 
isfactory. 

In  the  first  place,  Richard  Morris  had  been  disposed  of. 
What  had  been  at  first  the  result  of  an  idle  whim  of  malice 
against  Ruth  Gardner,  had  grown  to  be  a  fixed  policy.  In 
every  port  where  a  war  vessel  was  likely  to  touch,  were 
sealed  orders  to  the  commander  of  whatever  vessel  Morris 
happened  to  be  on  at  the  time,  giving  instructions  that  Mor 
ris  be  turned  back  to  sea  again  on  a  new  chase,  and  be  not 

379 


38o 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


permitted  to  come  to  Washington;  which,  in  itself,  was 
sufficiently  diverting  to  a  man  with  Snell's  sense  of  humor. 
At  the  same  time,  the  letters  that  Morris  wrote  to  Ruth  from 
time  to  time  never  got  any  further  than  Snell,  by  virtue  of 
which  arrangement  Ruth  had  no  intimation  that  he  was  still 

alive,  and  Snell  was  able  to  amuse 
himself   with    a    psychological 
study  of   the  young    lover's 
progress  through  successive 
stages  of  doubt,  because 
of  the  failure  of  replies 
(,;  to  his  letters. 

Furthermore,  Mich 
ael  Forbeson,  accord 
ing  to  the  latest 
reports  from  the  war 
department,  was 
likely  to  die.  If  he 
did  not  prove  so 
accommodating, 
there  was  always 
the  secret  of  his 
past  employment 
in  Washington  that 
could  be  thrown  in 
the  way.  On  the 
whole,  Snell  was  not 
certain  that  he  would 
not  be  better  pleased 
if  Forbeson  recovered  and  came  back  to  Washington  to  be 
denounced  and  probably  hanged. 

Whatever  it  was,  he  was  in  high  mood  as  he  sauntered 
up  the  avenue  in  the  direction  of  the  house  at  Eighteenth 
Street  and  New  York  Avenue,  where  the  President  and  his 


THE  RIGHT  HONORABLE  SIR  GEORGE  COCKBURN 
(From  the  portrait  by  Jean  Jacques  Halls} 


RUTH  REACHES,  A   DECISION  381 

wife  had  their  residence  now  with  Mrs.  Madison's  sister. 
Washington  had  recovered  mentally  and  morally  from  the 
irruption  of  Ross  and  Cockburn,  if  it  had  not  physically. 
The  British,  alarmed  by  a  second  storm  on  the  night  follow 
ing  the  destruction  of  the  public  buildings,  took  to  their 


THE  DEATH  or  GENERAL  Ross  AT  BALTIMORE    (From  the  painting  by  Chappelt) 

boats.  The  President  and  his  wife,  restored  to  each  other 
in  the  wilds  of  Virginia,  returned  with  the  secretaries, 
generals,  and  heads  of  government.  Armstrong,  having 
resigned  the  war  portfolio  under  the  savage  criticisms 
hurled  against  him,  was  succeeded  by  Monroe,  who  also 
retained  control  of  the  state  department,  where  there  was 
little  to  be  done  at  the  present  time.  The  departments 
found  shelter  in  odd  places.  Congress  convened  soon  after 
in  the  old  patent  office,  where  it  considered  the  state  of  the 
defenses  of  Washington  in  ample  solemnity. 

Ross  and  Cockburn,  leaving  Washington  in  its  ashes, 


382 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


turned  their  attention  to  Baltimore,  where  they  were  stopped 
outside  the  city  —  largely  by  Fort  McHenry,  which  withstood 
a  severe  bombardment  from  the  entire  fleet.  It  was  this 
bombardment  that  inspired  Francis  Scott 
Key  to  write  "The  Star- Spangled  Banner." 
From  a  British  war  vessel  he  watched 
through  the  gray  dawn  to  see  which  flag 
floated  over  the  ramparts  of  Fort  McHenry, 
and  then  wrote  the  words  that  have 
immortalized  his  name.  In  the 
land  engagement  General  Ross 
was  killed. 

The  period   immediately  fol 
lowing    this    unfortunate  episode 
in  the  national  capital  was  a  time  of 
successes.      The    British,    marching 
against  Fort  Erie,  had  been  repulsed, 

FRANCIS  SCOTT  KEY  leaving  the  American  forces  with  a 

firm  foothold  on  Canadian  territory  for  a  distance  inland 
of  about  half  a  mile.  Better  than  that,  and  of  more 
material  consequence  than  any  one  victory  of  the  war,  was 
the  affair  on  Lake  Champlain.  Many  times  had  the  waters 
of  that  ancient 


FORT  MCHENRY,  BALTIMORE 


RUTH  REACHES  A  DECISION  383 

lake  run  red  with  war;   many  times  had  death  been  hurtled 

across  her  shimmering  surfaces;  but  never  had  there  been 

such  a  contest  as  on  this  day  in  September,  1814,  when 

Thomas   Macdonough    crushed   Admiral   Downie,    wholly 

unaware    of 

the    obvious 

circumstance 

that    he    had 

been    badly 

beaten. 

General 
Izard,  at 
Plattsburg 
with  4000 
men,  was  or- 
d  e  r  e  d  to 
Sackett's  Har 
bor,  to  proceed 
thence  and 
join  Brown  at 
Fort  Erie.  He 
had  little  more 
than  set  out 
on  the  march 

when  PreVOSt,    THOMAS  MACDONOUGH     (From  the  portrait  by  J.  W.  Jarvis) 

who  had  been  on  the  Sorel  with  11,000  regulars,  many 
of  them  from  the  armies  of  Wellington,  started  for  Platts 
burg  on  the  way  into  New  York,  with  much  the  same 
purpose  that  had  been  in  the  mind  of  Burgoyne  thirty- 
seven  years  before.  At  the  same  time  the  fleet,  under  Com 
modore  Downie,  consisting  of  one  vessel  of  thirty-seven  guns 
brought  from  the  sea  in  pieces  and  assembled  on  the  lake, 
three  other  vessels  of  size,  and  twelve  galleys,  sailed  down 
the  lake  to  engage  Macdonough. 


384  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

It  was  vital  to  this  plan  of  invasion  that  the  English 
should  have  control  of  the  lake.  Prevost  knew  this;  Downie 
knew  it;  everybody  knew  it.  But  no  one  knew  it  better 
than  Master-Commandant  Macdonough,  who  with  remark 
able  agility  and  ingenuity  gathered  together  a  poor  little 


MACDONOUGITS  VICTORY  ON  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN.  FOUGHT  IN  PLATTSBURG 

fleet  of  schooners,  sloops,  and  galleys,  with  which  to  oppose 
the  enemy. 

Prevost,  marching  over  the  hills  in  front  of  Plattsburg, 
and  discovering  the  little  fleet  drawn  up  across  the  bay,  sat 
down  to  wait  for  Downie.  Downie,  coming  presently  in  the 
Confiance,  thirty-seven  guns,  accompanied  by  the  Chubb, 
the  Linnet,  the  Finch,  and  the  galleys,  found  that  Mac 
donough  had  played  a  trick  on  him.  At  one  side  of  the  bay 
before  Plattsburg  is  Cumberland  Head,  at  the  other,  Crab 


RUTH  REACHES  A  DECISION 


385 


Island.  Macdonough  had  formed  his  line  from  the  shoals 
inside  the  head  of  the  island.  If  Downie  were  to  extend 
his  line  fully,  he  must  either  draw  up  outside  the  head, 
where  he  would  be  out  of  range,  or  inside  so  close  to  the 
Americans  that  their  short  guns  would  be  in  speaking  dis* 


BAY  SEPTEMBER   n,  1814     (From  the  painting  by  J.  O.  Davidson} 


tance.     Downie  did  the  latter,  engaging  the  Saratoga,  Mac- 
donough's  flag-ship,  with  the  Confiance. 

This  was  the  order  of  battle.  At  the  north  end  of  the 
line,  under  the  head,  was  the  Eagle;  next,  the  Saratoga; 
then  the  Ticonderoga,  and  the  Preble.  The  galleys  were 
scattered  in  between.  Downie  sent  the  Chubb  and  the 
Linnet  to  double  the  north  end  of  the  line,  above  the  Eagle, 
which  they  could  not  do,  because  of  lack  of  water  over  the 
shoals.  He  himself  in  the  Con/lance  engaging  the  Saratoga, 


386 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


the  Finch  attacked  the  Ticonderoga,  and  the  galleys  took 
up  the  attention  of  the  Preble. 

Early  the  Chubb,  badly  crippled,  got  adrift  and  floated 
down  between  the  two  lines.  As  she  approached  the  Sara 
toga,  Macdonough  himself  aimed  a  gun  at  her,  which  com 
pelled  her  to  strike.  The  Linnet  making  it  too  hot  for  the 
Eagle,  that  vessel  let  slip  her  anchors  and  came  down  be- 


PLATTSBURG  BY  MOONLIGHT  IN  WINTER,  FROM  CUMBERLAND  BAY 

tween  the  Saratoga  and  the  Ticonderoga,  where  she  had  the 
advantage  of  bringing  her  fresh  port  batteries  into  play. 
At  the  same  time  she  left  the  Saratoga  exposed  to  a  raking 
fire  from  the  Linnet. 

Now  the  fortunes  of  the  day  were  at  a  low  ebb.  The 
Confiance  poured  terrific  broadsides  into  the  Saratoga;  the 
Linnet  raked  her.  The  Preble,  driven  by  the  swarm  of 
galleys  to  seclusion,  left  the  Ticonderoga  to  fight  them  off; 
which  she  did,  as  though  they  had  been  mosquitoes.  At 
this  time  the  crowning  disaster  visited  the  Saratoga;  the 
last  gun  on  her  engaged  side  was  made  useless  by  the  break 
ing  of  the  navel  bolt.  The  fleet  apparently  was  defeated; 
the  lake  lost. 

Macdonough,  however,  did  not  think  so.     He  had  fore- 


RUTH  REACHES  A  DECISION 


387 


seen  such  an  emergency,  and  was  ready  for  it.  There  were 
kedges  out,  broad  on  the  bows.  He  tripped  his  bower  an 
chor,  let  go  his  stream  over  the  stern,  and  warped  her  about, 
bringing  the  unharmed  port  battery  in  bearing.  Both  the 
Linnet  and  the  Confiance  raked  when  he  did  so;  but  now 
he  was  ready  for  them.  Springing  to  their  guns  with  new 
spirit,  the  Americans  poured  in  such  broadsides  that  the 


THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  SAVANNAH  RIVER,  CUMBERLAND   BAY,  THE  SCENE  OF 
THE  FIGHTING  AT  PLATTSBURG 

enemy  was  instantly  discomfited.  The  Confiance,  attempt 
ing  the  same  manceuver,  hung  up  head  on  to  the  Saratoga, 
which  raked  her  with  every  gun.  In  a  short  time  she 
struck.  Fifteen  minutes  later  the  Linnet  gave  up.  The 
Finch  had  surrendered  before,  having  been  disabled  by  the 
Ticonderoga,  and  drifted  on  Crab  Island. 

While  this  was  going  forward  on  the  water,  Prevost 
assaulted  the  American  lines,  defended  by  the  invalids 
whom  Izard  had  left  behind,  and  some  volunteers.  Driven 
off,  and  learning  the  fate  of  Downie,  the  British  commander 
turned  back  toward  Canada,  and  New  York  was  saved. 

This  news  Nicholas  Snell  was  bearing  to  President 
Madison  as  he  sauntered  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and  went 


388  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

out  along  Eighteenth  Street.  Arriving  at  the  house  he  was 
admitted  by  old  French  Louis,  for  many  years  a  servant  of 
the  Madisons.  "We  have  good  news,  Louis,"  he  said. 
"The  British  have  been  whipped  on  Lake  Champlain, 
and  Prevost  turned  back  from  New  York." 

"Your  news  is  not  so  great  as  the  news  that  came  of  the 
killing  of  that  villain  Ross  who  destroyed  our  city.  Sacre!" 
Louis's  eyes  glared  at  the  retrospect. 

Snell,  arriving  opposite  the  door  that  led  into  a  room 
half  library  and  half  living-room,  was  arrested  by  a  familiar 
voice.  Listening,  he  made  sure  that  it  was  the  voice  of 
Michael  Forbeson,  and  that  Ruth  answered  him  from  time 
to  time.  "I  will  wait  here,"  he  said  to  Louis,  who  had 
stopped  for  him.  "I  will  call  on  the  President  directly." 

In  the  open  door  between  the  library  and  the  hall  was  a 
hanging,  pulled  close  across  the  space.  Snell,  standing  for 
a  moment  behind  this,  peeped  into  the  room  before  he 
entered.  Ruth  stood  by  the  window,  looking  out  into  the 
street.  Forbeson,  in  the  uniform  of  a  major,  with  one  arm 
in  a  sling,  stood  close  to  her,  his  tone  and  attitude  pleading. 
Snell  could  not  hear  what  he  was  saying.  With  a  well- 
feigned  pretense  of  its  being  accidental,  he  entered  the  room. 

There  was  a  moment's  tableau,  the  two  in  the  window 
gazing  at  Snell,  and  he  staring  at  Forbeson.  "So  you  have 
come  back,"  he  said,  evenly,  at  last. 

"D'ye  think  it  is  my  ghost?"  retorted  Forbeson,  an 
noyed  by  the  intrusion. 

"I  merely  thought  that,  affairs  having  taken  a  certamturn, 
you  would  not  consider  it  best  to  return,"  Snell  ventured. 

"If  you  mean  that  I  have  any  fear  of  what  you  can  do, 
I  '11  tell  you  I  have  none;  and  if  I  had  there  is  that  which 
would  draw  me  through  great  dangers  back  to  this  place." 

An  expression  of  surprise  passed  over  the  face  of  the 
interloper.  He  gazed  from  the  wounded  major  to  the  girl, 


RUTH  REACHES  A  DECISION  391 

and  back  again,  puzzling.  "Am  I  to  understand,  then  — ?" 
he  was  beginning,  when  Forbeson  cut  him  short. 

"You  are  to  understand  that  what  I  told  you  before  has 
come  true." 

"Your  bravado  will  suffice  little  enough  in  this  instance, 
I  am  afraid,  Mr.  Forbeson — " 

"Major  Forbeson,  Mr.  Snell.  Major  Forbeson,"  re 
marked  the  possessor  of  that  title. 

"Miss  Gardner,  the  affection  that  I  bear  our  friend 
makes  painful  the  duty  that  circumstance  has  thrust  upon 
me,"  Snell  resumed. 

Said  Ruth,  quietly:  "Perhaps,  if  it  is  your  duty,  I  should 
be  able  to  recognize  it  as  such." 

Snell  realized  that  he  had  overdone  the  part.  "Pardon 
me,"  he  said.  "I  only  thought  to  soften  the  blow.  It  has 
come  to  my  knowledge,  Miss  Gardner,  that  this  man,  who 
intimates  that  he  is  your  lover  and  is  not  rebuked  in  the 
intimation,  has  been  in  Washington  as  a  spy  for  two  years." 

Snell  was  amazed  at  the  effect  this  had  upon  his  audi 
tors.  Major  Forbeson,  so  far  from  being  disconcerted, 
was  in  a  state  bordering  on  jubilation,  and  gazed  into  the 
face  of  Ruth  with  a  look  of  triumph,  while  she  returned 
SnelPs  gaze  wholly  unperturbed  or  surprised. 

"The  major  has  been  telling  me,"  she  said,  softly. 

"No  doubt  he  has  endeavored  to  prepare  your  mind 
for  this  in  some  way,"  he  said.  "Might  I  ask  you  what 
he  has  told  you,  so  that  I  can  point  out  the  particulars 
wherein  he  may  have  attempted  deceit?" 

"He  has  told  me,  I  think,  the  truth,  and  the  whole  truth," 
returned  Ruth.  "He  told  me  that  he  came  to  Washington 
when  hostilities  threatened  between  England  and  the  United 
States,  directed  to  you,  and  that  you  obtained  a  position  in 
the  army  department  for  him,  so  that  he  could  obtain  in 
formation  of  value  to  his  country. 


392 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


"I  am  sorry  to  learn  it  of  him;  but  I  am  at  least  glad  to 
learn  it  from  his  own  lips.  He  at  least  had  the  plea  in  his 
behalf  that  he  was  working  for  his  country  and  against  the 
enemy,  instead  of  being  a  traitor  within  the  defenses  of  his 
own  land.  And  he  has  made  amends  that  nearly  cancel  the 
fault.  I  believe  God  has  forgiven  him;  I  know  that  I  have." 


RESTING-PLACE  ON  THE   ISLE  SAINT  MICHEL  OF  THE  SOLDIERS  AND   MARINES 
KILLED  AT  PLATTSBURG  BAY 

Snell  inclined  his  head  in  a  respectful  bow  to  Ruth. 
"Miss  Gardner,"  he  said,  "this  is  not  the  first  time  that  I 
have  subjected  myself  to  insult  from  you  in  the  pursuit  of 
my  duty;  but  it  shall  be  the  last.  If  you  prefer  the  word 
of  this  self-confessed  spy  above  mine,  I  shall  submit." 

"You  can  hang  me,  if  you  will;  but  mark  my  word, 
you  will  hang  as  high!"  cried  Forbeson  angrily. 

Snell,  offering  no  reply,  turned  his  back  and  left  the  room. 
Forbeson,  extending  his  arm,  approached  Ruth,  pleading 
with  lips  and  eyes.  "You  love  me,  girl,"  he  whispered. 


RUTH  REACHES  A   DECISION 


393 


"I  know  you  love  me.  Tell  me  so  then,  and  tell  me  that  all 
is  forgiven,  and  that  our  lives  are  all  ahead  of  us." 

Ruth  restrained  his  approach  with  a  little  gesture.  "I 
think  I  have  no  need  to  tell  you  that  I  forgive  you.  But  I 
am  not  ready  yet  to  tell  you  that  I  will  be  your  wife.  Go 
away,  Michael,  until  the  war  ends,  and  then  return.  You 
will  find  me  as  I  am,  and  ready  to  give  you  the  answer 
you  desire." 

He  bowed  his  head.  "I  will  go,  Ruth,"  he  said.  "But 
for  Heaven's  love,"  he  went  on,  passionately,  "give  me  just 
one  kiss  to  keep  me  alive  until  I  can  come  back!" 

"Can  you  not  understand?"  she  said,  denying  him. 
"Not  until  the  war  is  ended."  She  held  out  her  hand. 

He  raised  the  hand  to  his  lips,  kissing  it,  and  left,  hiding 
his  face  that  she  might  not  see  the  moisture  in  his  eyes. 


CHAPTER  X 
A   MESSAGE 

NEW  ORLEANS  lay  drowsing  after  its  noonday  meal. 
Excepting  for  a  negro  here  and  there,  or  a  stray  dog 
sidling  along  on  some  canine  quest,  the  streets  were  deserted. 
On  the  levee,  which  was  the  center  of  activity  in  this  Gulf 
port,  there  was  no  closer  resemblance  to  life  at  present  than 


NEW  ORLEANS 

that  presented  by  sprawling  negroes  asleep,  and  boats 
slumbering  in  the  slack  tide,  against  the  wharves.  There 
was  no  sound  but  an  infrequent  footfall  on  the  flags  ,of  the 
pavement ;  the  slamming  of  a  door  as  citizens  entered  their 
houses,  belated  in  their  siestas;  the  crying  of  children;  the 
sound  of  animals  feeding  in  their  stalls.  The  New  Orleans 
world  had  gone  into  a  doze. 

Into  the  midst  of  this  scene  of  silence,  from  the  south 
there    came    a    man,    hurried,    disheveled,    excited.     He 

394 


A  MESSAGE 


395 


breathed  heavily;  he  had  been  running.  Mud  was  on  his 
boots;  his  coat  was  torn  by  brambles.  Breathing  heavily, 
his  heels  hitting  the  hard  pavement  of  the  streets,  he  has 
tened  through  the  narrow  ways,  leaving  behind 
him  a  little  stir  among  citizens. 

To  them  he  paid  no  heed,  pressing  for 
ward  without  slackening  toward  the  mili 
tary  headquarters.     Here  was  life  and 
wakefulness ;  his  knock  at  the  door 
was  answered  before  the  echo  of 
it  had  died  out  of  the  street  - 
answered    by   a    tall,    slender, 
graceful   man  of  middle  age, 
with  grey  hair  and  the  face  of 
a  poet  who  has  seen  sorrow. 
"Is    the    general    within?" 
cried    the    traveler,   catching 
his  breath. 

The  other  made  no  answer 
by  word,  but  led  the  visitor 
into  the  house,  and  to  a  room 
that  served  sometimes  as  library. 
Now  it  was  the  headquarters  of  a 
man  of  war,  strewn  about  with  maps, 
papers,  and  reports ;  guns  were  lying 
across  chairs;  a  sword  in  its  scabbard  was  resting  on  the 
end  of  the  table.  At  the  other  end,  coatless,  intent  on  a 
chart  laid  out  before  him,  sat  a  spare  man,  with  long,  thin 
face  and  a  shock  of  thin  hair  bursting  above  a  thin  forehead. 
As  he  looked  up  at  the  visitor  he  stretched  a  thin  arm  across 
the  map  and  laid  a  thin  finger  at  the  point  where  he  left  off. 

"General  Jackson!"  cried  the  stranger,  whose  recovered 
breath  contributed  more  to  his  excitement  than  to  his  facility 
of  speech.  "General  Jackson!  Man  Dieu,  the  British  are 


GENERAL  ANDREW  JACKSON     (From 

Vanderlyn's  portrait  in  the  City 

Hall,  New  York) 


396  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

upon  us!  They  came  this  morning  to  my  house,  when  the 
mists  still  hid  them,  and  laid  hold  of  me  and  my  people.  I 
broke  away  from  them,  and  ran  to  tell  you." 

General  Jackson  looked  at  the  man  sharply  for  an  in 
stant.  "Who  are  you,  and  where  are  the  British  that  you 
saw?"  he  demanded. 

"I  am  Major  Villere,  General,  and  I  live  two  leagues 
below,  on  this  side  of  the  river,  next  the  levee.  The  British 


JACKSON  AT  PENS  AGO  LA 

are  there  at  my  place  now,  unless  they  have  already  started 
for  the  city." 

Jackson  leapt  to  his  feet.  "Sound  the  alarm!"  he  cried. 
"Ring  the  bells!  Send  criers  through  the  streets!  Beat 
the  drums!  Rally  in  the  Place  d'Armes!"  The  one  who 
had  ushered  Major  Villere  into  the  room  moved  toward  the 
door  to  carry  out  the  orders.  Jackson,  striding  to  his 
sword,  cried  after  him,  "Pass  the  order,  Stevens,  and  re 
turn  to  me  at  once." 

The  other  was  back  in  a  moment.  Jackson,  buckling 
on  his  sword,  turned  to  the  major.  "Major,"  he  said,  "will 
you  be  kind  enough  to  conduct  Captain  Sylvester  Stevens 


A   MESSAGE  397 

toward  your  home,  so  that  he  may  reconnoiter  the  enemy's 
position  and  strength." 

The  two  set  out  without  delay.  They  had  no  more  than 
reached  the  pavement  when  the  great  bell  in  the  cathedral 
boomed  out  on  the  hush  of  the  midday  sleep  and  reverber 
ated  through  the  hollow  streets.  Stroke  on  stroke  it  bel 
lowed  forth ;  now  a  drum,  and  another,  took  up  the  tongue, 
rolling  heavily;  a  gun  was  fired,  and  another.  People  came 
tumbling  out  of  their  houses  to  see  what  the  din  was  about, 
and  rushed  back  for  their  guns  and  powder-horns  when  they 
learned  that  the  British  had  landed  on  the  river-bank. 

It  was  not  wholly  surprising  to  citizens  of  New  Orleans 
that  the  English  were  coming.  Word  had  reached  the  city 
that  a  fleet  of  vessels  was  off  the  coast  of  Louisiana;  and 
there  could  be  no  other  than  an  English  fleet  in  those  waters. 
It  was  the  force  under  Sir  Edward  Pakenham,  brother- 
in-law  and  lieutenant  to  Wellington,  11,000  strong;  regulars, 
and  veterans  of  the  campaign  in  the  Peninsula,  convoyed 
in  a  fleet  of  fifty  sail  and  a  thousand  guns,  the  strongest 
force  that  England  had  sent  overseas  for  many  a  year.  The 
aim  of  the  expedition  was  to  lay  hold  of  the  Mississippi  and 
break  the  Western  States  from  the  Union;  or,  at  least,  strike  a 
crippling  blow  at  the  western  expansion  of  the  United  States. 

Opposed  to  the  invading  force  were  two  river  gunboats, 
the  Carolina  and  the  Louisiana,  and  a  few 
and   volunteers  from   Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
Louisiana.     At  their  head  was 
General  Andrew  Jackson. 
He  had  come  to  Nash 
ville,   then    on    to   the 
frontier,    to     practice 
law,  just  as  he  reached  HHfii|  SH^H 
manhood,     arriving 
from    North    Carolina. 


MONUMENT  ON  SPOT  OF 
JACKSON'S  BIRTH 


398 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


Bis  father,  an  Irish  immigrant,  had  died  before  Andrew's 
birth  and  his  mother  and  elder  brother  had  succumbed  to 
the  hardships  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he,  though 
a  mere  lad,  had  borne  a  man's  part.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
in  Tennessee  he  married  Mrs.  Rachel  Robards,  daughter  of 
Colonel  John  Donelson,  believing  with  her  that  she  had 
legally  divorced  her  former  husband.  Technicalities  pre 
vented  the  actual  granting  of  the 
divorce  until  two  years  later, 
however,  whereupon  Jack 
son  had  the  marriage  cere 
mony  repeated.  Malignant 
personal  attacks,  based  upon 
wilful  perversion  of  these  facts, 
brought  Jackson  into  many 
duels,  in  one  of  which  his 
life  was  saved  by  the  locket 
containing  his  wife's  pic 
ture,  which  he  carried  over  his 
heart. 

In  the  new  State  of  Tennessee  Jackson  soon  rose  to 
positions  of  eminence.  He  assisted  in  framing  its  constitu 
tion,  and  became  successively  its  representative  in  Congress, 
its  senator,  and  a  justice  of  its  supreme  court.  When  the 
second  war  with  England  was  declared,  Jackson,  as  major- 
general  of  the  State  militia,  raised  a  force  of  2500  sharp 
shooters,  but  was  unable  to  have  them  accepted  by  the  fed 
eral  authorities.  The  massacre  at  Fort  Mimms  on  August 
30, 1813,  in  which  260  whites  were  slain,  gave  him  his  chance. 
News  of  it  came  to  him  while  confined  with  a  wound 
received  in  a  duel  with  Thomas  H.  Benton.  He  arose  from 
his  bed,  and  six  weeks  later  was  hunting  the  maurading 
Indians  through  Georgia,  David  Crockett  and  Sam  Houston 
serving  under  him.  He  reached  the  Hickory  Ground,  at 


COUNCIL  OAK;    WEATHERFORD'S  HEAD 
QUARTERS  WHEN  CHIEF  OF  THE 
CREEK  NATION  IN  1814 


A  MESSAGE 


399 


the  confluence  of  the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa  Rivers,  the  seat 
of  the  warlike  Creeks,  defeating  them  at  the  battle  of  the 
Horse-Shoe  on  the  way.  There  he  dictated  a  treaty  of  peace 
on  August  9,  1814,  whereby  they  surrendered  most  of  their 
lands  and  withdrew  to  the  West. 

From  the  Creeks  Jackson  turned  his  attention 
to  the  Spanish  province  of  Florida,  lingering  in 
Mobile  until  fall,  when  he  went  on  a  successful 
expedition  against  Pensacola, 
against  which  he  had 
been  forbidden.  It 
was  well  known  all 
this  time  that  the 
British  were  in 
tending  to  send  a 
force  against  the 
Gulf;  but  Jackson 
could  not  abandon 
the  opportunity  which 
he  thought  offered  of  laying 
hold  of  the  Spanish  possessions. 
Returning  in  December  to 
New  Orleans,  in  charge  of  the 
department  of  Mobile  and  New  Orleans,  he  found  that  city 
in  a  state  of  unprepared  ness  equal  to  that  which  existed 
in  the  capital  when  Ross  and  Cockburn  came  to  burn  it. 
Nor  can  it  be  said  that  he  improved  matters  much,  until 
news  came  that  the  British  fleet  had  actually  arrived,  had 
destroyed  six  small  gunboats  in  Lake  Borgne,  and  was  now 
at  the  head  of  the  lake. 

Then  he  acted.  He  sent  for  his  scattered  army,  part 
of  which,  under  Coffee,  was  marching  to  Baton  Rouge,  and 
part  chasing  Indians  in  Alabama.  He  made  requisitions 
on  the  surrounding  States;  issued  a  proclamation  stating 


VlEW    NEAR    THE   TOE    OF 

HORSE-SHOE  BEND  ON 
THE  TALLAPOOSA 


400 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


that  the  district  must  and  would  be  defended;  that  the  citi 
zens  who  were  not  with  the  cause  must  be  against  it,  and 
that  every  man  who  did  not  appear  with  a  gun  in  his  hands 
ready  to  dispute  every  inch  of  ground  with  the  British 
would  be  dealt  with  accordingly.  When  the  legislature 
hesitated  to  suspend  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  he  pro 
claimed  the  city  under  martial  law. 

There  came  to  him  Jean  and  Pierre  Lafitte,  with  their 
pirates  from  the  lake  of  Barataria;  bold,  wild  fellows,  who 
had  a  grudge  against  England,  and  who  sought  this  chance 
to  play  even  with  their  foe,  and  make  their  peace  with  the 
American  government.  There  also  came  General  Coffee, 
with  his  troops,  and  General  Carroll,  with  a  Tennessee 
brigade  that  had  long  been  promised,  then  Creoles  and 
Frenchmen  from  the  environs,  to  the  defense  of  the  city; 
so  that  when  the  bells  rang  out  on  the  day  when  Major 
Villere  brought  the  alarm,  which  was  December  23,  1814, 
there  were  men  and  arms  to  turn  out  in  response. 

Sylvester  Stevens  had  been  with  Jackson  from  the  first 
call  to  arms  after  the  massacre  at  Fort  Minims.  Since  his 
visit  to  Washington  with  a  message  from 
Lewis  and  Clark  he  had  traveled  far, 


A  MESSAGE 


401 


going  with  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike  to  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains.  He  had  been  on  the  Western  plains  once  by  himself, 
and  was  preparing  to  go  again  when  news  came  of  the  Creek 
uprising.  So  he  went  with  Jackson  through  the  Horse-Shoe 
and  Hickory  Ground,  fighting  the  fight  of  the  white  against 
the  red,  the  civilized  against  the  savage,  until  it  was  won. 

He  had  been  at  Mobile  and  Pensacola,  and  had  marched 
with  Jackson  through  the  swamps  to  New  Orleans,  loving 


THE  MASSACRE  AT  FORT  MIMMS     (From  the  painting  by  Chap  pell) 

him,  believing  in  him,  ready  to  die  for  him  or  with  him. 
Now  he  was  making  his  cautious  way  down  the  Mississippi 
toward  the  plantation  of  Major  Villere  to  learn  what  his 
chief  wished  to  know. 

Half  an  hour  after  the  alarm,  the  regulars  were  on  the 
march;  in  two  hours  the  Tennesseeans  were  posted  behind 
the  Rodriguez  canal;  by  sundown  Jackson,  with  2100  men 
and  two  guns,  was  on  his  way  toward  the  British  camp. 


402 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Sylvester  returned  with  word  that  the  British  advance  was 
occupying  the  Villere  plantation  next  the  river,  and  Jack 
son's  plans  were  made.  He  had  sworn  that  though  the 
British  might  land  on  our  shores  they  should  not  sleep. 
Accordingly,  the  Carolina  was  to  sail  down  and  shell  the 
camp;  General  Coffee,  marching  through  the  cypress 
swamps,  was  to  attack  when  the  firing  began,  swinging  in 
on  the  English  left,  while  he  himself,  marching  down  the 
levee,  attacked  the  right  and  front. 

Dusk  came,  and  with  it  a  sudden  mist,  such  as  springs 
from  the  ground  in  that  country  with  little  changes  in  tem 
perature.  Sylvester,  floundering  in  the  cypress  swamps, 
feeling  his  way  through  the  mist,  and  picking  out  the  path 
for  Coffee's  troops,  heard  the  firing  from  the  gunboat  on 
the  river.  "The  enemy  will  be  in  that  direction,"  said 
General  Coffee,  pointing  to  the  right  and  a  little  ahead. 
"Will  you  lead  the  advance?" 

Sylvester  did  not  answer,  but  plunged  at  once  in  the 
direction  he  had  indicated,  followed  by  the  soldiers,  glad  to 
get  out  of  the  woods,  glad  to  meet  the  British.  The  sur 


prise  was 
camp  by  the 
assailed  on 
both  flanks 
by  Ameri 
cans  that 
came  up  out 
of  the  mist 
like  wraiths, 
except  that 
they  shouted 
and  fired 
guns,  the 
British  sol- 


complete.     Routed   out    of   their 
broadsides  of  the  Carolina, 


PLANTATION  SCENE  NEAR  THE  HICKORY 
GROUND 


A  MESSAGE  403 

diers  were  thrown  into  confusion.  Grouped  about  their 
officers,  they  fought  bravely,  but  hopelessly.  It  became 
a  melee.  Knives,  fists,  rifle-butts,  played  their  part,  always 
with  the  advantage  to  the  Americans.  Stubbornly  the  in 
vaders  fell  back,  finding  refuge  at  last  behind  an  old  levee 
300  yards  from  the  river,  where  they  stood,  and  were  rein 
forced. 

It  was  a  slight  victory,  materially;  but  morally  it  was 
decisive.  The  English,  surprised  by  the  resistance  offered, 
reconsidered  their  plan  to  advance  at  once,  and  waited  until 
Pakenham  should  come  up  with  reinforcements.  This  was 
the  work  of  two  days,  because  of  the  difficulties  of  landing 
troops  from  the  fleet.  Pakenham  would  not  advance  until 
the  two  schooners  in  the  river  could  be  destroyed,  which 
occupied  two  more  days,  the  sailors  being  obliged  to  drag 
guns  across  the  swamps  for  the  work. 

The  respite  was  turned  to  good  advantage  by  Jackson. 
On  the  day  when  Major  Villere  came  to  town  with  news  that 
the  British  advance  had  reached  his  place,  there  was  not  a 
sod  turned  for  the  defense  of  New  Orleans,  not  a  trench, 
not  a  breastwork.  On  the  day  when  Pakenham,  having 
destroyed  the  boats  in  the  rive-r,  began  his  advance,  there 
stretched  across  his  path  a  parapet  thrown  up  beyond  a  dry 
canal,  that  was  formidable  and  practically  unassailable 
with  the  force  he  had  with  him. 

There  was  another  delay,  while  sailors  dragged  cannon 
into  place  across  the  heavy  ground.  By  January  i  Paken 
ham  had  thirty  guns  mounted  in  eight  batteries.  Jackson's 
line  of  defense  ran  along  the  inner  edge  of  the  Rodriguez 
canal,  in  a  straight  line  from  the  levee  to  the  cypress  swamp. 
In  the  open  it  was  a  rough  earthwork,  parapet  high ;  in  the 
woods  it  was  built  of  two  rows  of  logs,  with  earth  between. 
At  the  right,  on  the  levee,  was  a  redoubt,  manned  by  regu 
lars,  a  company  of  the  New  Orleans  Rifles,  sailors  from  the 


404  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

Carolina,  a  battalion  of  Creoles,  with  Lafitte's  pirates.  Then 
came  a  battalion  of  free  negroes;  more  sailors  with  a  thirty- 
two  pounder;  some  Santo  Dominicans;  more  regulars;  some 
French  soldiers  under  an  old  gunner  of  Napoleon's ;  a  long 
line  of  Tennesseeans  in  brown  homespun  hunting-shirts, 
their  long  rifles  slung  in  their  crotched  elbows,  more  sailors 
and  regulars;  John  Adair  and  his  Kentuckians,  and,  at  the 
left,  knee-deep  in  the  cypress  swamp,  Coffee's  Tennesseeans, 
with  whom  was  Sylvester  —  a  strange  and  motley  crowd, 
magnificent  marksmen,  Indian  fighters,  men  who  would 
hold  their  fire  until  it  did  execution. 

The  morning  of  January  i  came  on  foggy,  but  by  8 
o'clock  the  mists  cleared  away,  and  Pakenham  began  with 
his  guns  to  batter  the  earthworks.  The  Americans  replied 
with  a  spirit  and  skill  that  silenced  the  British  cannon 
before  noon.  Once  more  the  batteries  opened  on  the  rude 
work,  and  once  more  they  were  silenced.  Pakenham, 
annoyed  at  lack  of  success,  sat  down  to  wait  for  the  rest  of 
his  troops. 

On  January  8  Pakenham,  with  12,000  British  regulars, 
trained  in  the  Peninsula,  stood  before  the  works  of  the 
Americans,  behind  which  were  a  long,  thin,  Indian  fighter 
and  6000  marksmen.  Across  the  river  another  column 
moved  against  the  defenses,  an  auxiliary  operation,  neces 
sary,  but  not  important. 

Sylvester  Stevens,  standing  with  the  water  about  his 
knees,  nursing  his  long  rifle,  peering  between  the  trees  of 
the  swamp,  saw  the  red  ranks  of  the  British  forming  in  the 
distance,  and  knew  that  the  day  had  come.  Drawing  a 
deep  breath,  casting  his  eyes  into  the  blue  to  clear  their 
sight,  he  waited,  patting  the  cheek  of  his  rifle-butt.  Up 
and  down  the  line  beside  him,  standing  to  their  knees  in  the 
cool  ooze  of  the  swamp,  others  waited,  patting  their  guns. 
The  day  had  come. 


A  MESSAGE  407 

A  sharp  firing  to  the  left,  and  a  company  of  West  Indians, 
mauled  and  mutilated,  hastened  back  through  the  woods, 
seeking  protection  in  the  distance.  With  shouting  and 
firing  on  the  right,  a  column  swept  over  an  outwork,  only  to 
be  held  in  check  by  biting  fire  from  the  earthworks. 

Four  hundred  yards  in  front  of  him,  in  a  dry  ditch, 
Sylvester  could  see  the  British  forming  in  solid  column. 
Some  one  at  his  elbow  was  cursing.  Sylvester  cast  a  glance 
at  him.  "It  's  murder  for  them  to  come  on  like  that," 
said  the  man.  "Why  don't  they  scatter?" 

"Because,"  returned  Sylvester,  with  the  trace  of  a  sar 
castic  smile  about  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  "they  are 
veterans  of  many  campaigns,  and  it  is  nothing  to  them  to 
run  over  a  few  backwoodsmen." 

A  rocket  whizzed  into  the  air;  it  was  the  signal  for  the 
main  advance.  A  hundred  rockets  whistled  over  the  breast 
works;  solid  shot  chopped  through  the  trees;  the  foe  came 
on,  in  solid  column,  shouting  and  waving  their  caps.  In 
the  ranks  behind  the  breastworks  was  silence,  save  for  a 
whisper  that  ran  down  the  line. 

"Hold  your  fire,  and  aim  at  their  belts,"  was  the  whisper. 

The  air  above  was  filled  with  shrieking  missiles.  Syl 
vester,  gazing  up  through  the  trees  at  the  blue  sky,  saw  them 
swarming  past,  dark,  like  wisps  of  smoke. 

A  rifle  cracked  close  at  hand ;  then  another,  and  another. 
Sylvester  looked  again  at  the  advancing  foe;  he  could  see 
the  faces  of  the  men,  their  eyes,  their  mouths,  their  mous 
taches.  He  raised  his  gun,  singled  out  a  soldier,  drew  the 
sight  into  a  narrowing  circle  on  the  belt  of  the  poor  wretch, 
steadied,  pulled,  saw  him  wither  and  go  down. 

The  head  of  the  column  was  melting  away;  the  breast 
works  leapt  with  flames;  smoke  scurried  across  the  waters 
of  the  swamp,  wreathing  itself  about  the  trees. 

He  loaded  and  fired,  again  and  again,  swiftly,  his  hands 


4o8 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


moving  like  the  parts  of  a  machine.  The  brave  fellows  came 
forward  to  their  slaughter;  their  column  was  like  the  point 
of  an  icicle,  broken  off  and  thrust  against  a  hot  stove.  It 
melted,  that  was  all, —  disappeared,  vanished  within  the 
zone  of  that  terrible  fire.  It  wavered,  crumpled,  buckled, 
and  fled  back  to  the  dry  ditch.  . 

Once  more  it  came  on.     Pakenham, 
t  the  head  of  it,  waving  his  hat,  was 
struck    with    a    cannon    ball,    and 
thrown  back  along  the  ground,  a 
shapeless  mass,  flopping  like  a  crow 
shot  out   of   mid-air.     General 
Gibbs,  taking  his  place,  staggered, 
went  limp,  and  became  a  still  heap 
at   the  feet  of  his  soldiers.     Still 
they  came  on. 

Sylvester,  picking  out  his  man 
each  time  he  fired,  ran  his  eye  over 
advancing  line  with  loaded  rifle  in 
his  fingers,  selecting  the  next  who  should 
fall.  Moving  at  the  side  of  the  column  he 
saw  an  officer,  and  raised  his  gun.  Run 
ning  his  eye  through  the  sights,  he  observed  the  officer  turn 
pale  and  tremble,  as  if  through  fear.  He  held  his  finger  from 
the  trigger;  but  as  if  he  watched  him,  the  man,  with  a  look 
of  swift  dismay,  grasped  his  side,  wheeled  in  his  tracks,  and 
fell.  His  rifle  went  unshot ;  for  before  he  chose  out  another 
to  die,  the  foe  fled  once  more,  and  he  was  too  much  of  a 
soldier  to  shoot  a  fleeing  man. 

All  along  the  line  the  British  were  withdrawing.  Great 
heaps  and  windrows  of  dead  lay  in  the  January  sun. 
Sylvester,  watching  the  retreating  enemy,  climbed  over  the 
breastworks,  and  moved  to  the  spot  where  the  officer  had 
fallen  whom  he  had  been  about  to  kill.  He  could  not  have 


GENERAL  ZEBULON 
MONTGOMERY  PIKE 


A   MESSAGE  409 

told  what  subtle  impulse  drove  him  thither.  He  went  with 
out  a  question. 

The  man  lay  on  his  side,  resting  his  head  on  his  arm, 
thrown  at  length  above  him.  His  eyes  were  closed.  There 
was  the  pallor  of  death  on  his  countenance,  but  by  a  quiver 
of  his  lids  Sylvester  knew  that  he  yet  lived.  He  touched  him 
gently  on  the  shoulder.  "Will  you  drink?"  he  asked,  hold 
ing  a  canteen  of  water  toward  him. 

The  man  parted  his  parched  lips,  and  sought  to  raise 
his  head  to  drink.  Sylvester  helped  him. 

"Thanks.  Thanks,"  whispered  the  man.  "I  am  dy 
ing.  God!  I  knew  this  was  my  last  day." 

"You  may  not  be  hurt  so  badly  as  you  think,"  Sylvester 
said  encouragingly. 

"It  's  bad.  It  's  bad,"  the  man  returned,  closing  his 
eyes  in  the  pain  of  speaking.  "My  whole  insides  are  cut 
loose.  I  am  bleeding  badly." 

Sylvester  saw  that  it  was  true,  and  held  his  peace. 

"We  are  routed?"  asked  the  dying  man. 

"I  think  you  are  defeated,  sir,"  replied  Sylvester, 
gently. 

The  man  opened  his  eyes  wide,  of  a  sudden.  "Who 
are  you?"  he  asked. 

"An  American  soldier." 

"Of  course,  of  course.  My  head  is  turning.  Hold  me. 
I  have  something  to  say,  before  I  die.  Lift  my  head." 
Sylvester  did  as  he  was  bid.  "I  have  been  but  a  poor 
wretch,  and  have  made  another  person  wretched,"  gasped 
the  man,  with  effort.  "Ask  her  to  forgive  me.  I  have  tried 
my  best,  which  was  ill  enough.  If  I  had  known  how  I 
should  fail,  before  God  I  would  have  leapt  into  the  sea 
before  I  would  have  asked  her  to  be  my  wife,  for  I  loved  her. 
I  did  not  know  it.  She  never  told  me,  but  I  guessed. 
There  was  another  whom  she  loved.  He  lived  in  her  heart 


4io 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


always.  Find  her,  and  tell  her  that  I  knew  it  at  last,  and 
forgave  her." 

"Where  shall  I  find  her?" 

"Seek  her  through  the  world.  Find  her,  for  the  good 
of  my  soul." 

"Her  name?  Your  name,  sir?"  He  was  going  fast; 
Sylvester  had  to  rouse  him  to  answer. 

"Margaret  Erskine  is  her  name.     I  am  —  dying." 

There  was  __— — — -^^S^^B=^  no  more. 


SUNRISE  FROM  THE  SUMMIT  OF  PIKE'S  PEAK 


CHAPTER  XI 


J 


SIMON   THWAITE   LEAVES   TOWN 

AMES  MADISON,  President  of  the  United  States, 
was  in  the  doldrums.  Affairs  of  state  were  going 
altogether  wrong,  and  he  could  not  set  them  right.  The 
campaign  of  the  last  year  against  Canada,  although  it  had 
obtained  some  equivocal  victories  for  the  army,  was  a  failure, 
leading  to  nothing.  American  fleets  controlled  the  lakes, 
but  their  advantage  could  be  turned  only  to  defense.  There 
was  not  energy  enough  in  the  country  to  project  an  army 
into  Canada,  neither  in  men,  money,  nor  morals.  The  ranks 
had  been  depleted  by  expirations  and  desertions;  enlist 
ments  could  not 
be  procured ;  cit 
izens  would  not 
fight;  talk  of 
con  scription 
stirred  up  in 
cendiary  opposi- 
t  ion.  The 
finances  were  in 
a  hopeless  state; 
there  was  no 
money,  no  credit. 
Congress  voted 
bonds,  but  they 
could  not  be  sold. 
Whatever  sup 
port  the  war  had 
received  seemed 

JAMES  MADISON    (From  a  drawing  by  James  Longacre 

made  at  Montpelier  in  1833  when  Madison 

was  in  his  eighty-third  year) 

411 


4i2  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

slowly  slipping  away  from  beneath  the  administration.  The 
war  party  was  uncertain  and  divided;  Congress  hesitated 
and  procrastinated,  hoping  for  peace,  of  which  rumors  began 
to  circulate.  But  peace  was  not  in  prospect. 

In  this  juncture  of  affairs  one  of  the  great  climaxes  in 
the  life  of  the  nation,  one  that  threatened  the  integrity  of  the 
Union  as  seriously  as  any  through  which  the  country  had 
passed,  gathered  head  and  burst  in  New  England.  The 
Federalists  of  one  school,  always  bitter  against  the  war,  be 
came  so  impatient  of  the  hardships  it  worked  on  New  Eng 
land  commerce,  so  hopeless  of  any  termination  of  it,  so 
incensed  against  the  stupid  and  stubborn  prolongation  of 
the  hopeless  struggle,  that  they  took  steps  to  relieve  them 
selves  of  the  burden  thrust  on  their  unwilling  shoulders  by 
Madison  and  the  Republican  party. 

On  October  16,  1814,  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts, 
responsive  to  memorials  sent  in  from  various  towns,  ap 
pointed  twelve  delegates  to  meet  with  delegates  from  other 
New  England  States  at  Hartford  and  confer  upon  the  sub 
ject  of  their  public  grievances.  A  memorial  was  drawn  up 
and  sent  to  the  legislatures  of  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island, 
which  in  turn  appointed  delegates.  On  December  15, 
accordingly,  a  convention  met  at  Hartford  composed  of 
twelve  men  from  Massachusetts,  seven  from  Connecticut, 
four  from  Rhode  Island,  three  unofficial  delegates  from 
New  Hampshire,  and  one  from  Vermont. 

Their  deliberations  were  kept  profoundly  secret.  When 
finally  published,  in  1833,  there  were  suspicions  that  the 
report  was  not  a  full  and  complete  record  of  the  transactions 
behind  the  closed  doors  of  the  Hartford  Convention,  which 
were  believed  at  the  time  to  have  been  exceedingly  radical, 
if  they  could  not  have  been  characterized  as  acutely  treason 
able.  It  was  understood  that  the  members  of  the  conven 
tion  meditated  a  severance  of  the  New  England  States  from 


SIMON   THWAITE    LEAVES    TOWN        415 

the  Union,  and  perhaps  a  coalition  with  England,  in  case 
the  government  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  stop  the  war. 

What  the  convention  immediately  made  known  at  the 
close  of  its  session,  January  15,  1815,  was  a  report  which 
had  an  embarrassing  similarity  to  certain  resolutions  once 
drawn  up  by  James  Madison  and  passed  by  the  legislature 
of  Virginia,  and  embraced  deliberate  copies  of  those  reso 
lutions  to  the  effect  that  "in  cases  of  deliberate,  dangerous, 
and  palpable  infractions  of  the  Constitution,  affecting  the 
sovereignty  of  a  State  and  the  liberties  of  a  people,  it  is  not 
only  the  right  but  the  duty  of  such  a  State  to  interpose  its 
authority  for  their  protection,  in  the  manner  best  calculated 
to  secure  that  end." 

A  committee  from  the  convention,  bearing  a  series  of 
resolutions,  was  now  in  Washington  to  present  the  proposed 
amendments  to  Congress  and  to  ask  that  they  be  submitted 
to  the  States  for  ratification.  Behind  their  journey  to  the 
capital  was  a  vote  of  the  convention  that,  if  nothing  came  of 
the  resolutions,  the  delegates  should  meet  again  to  take  fur 
ther  steps  that  might  seem  best  —  a  covert  threat  of  secession. 

James  Madison,  knowing  that  the  committee  were  in 
Washington,  and  with  what  purpose,  knowing  the  contents 
of  their  pockets  and  the  vote  behind  them,  knowing  the 
temper  of  New  England;  feeling  the  country  sliding  from 
beneath  his  feet;  conscious  that  he  was  not  able  to  interest 
the  people  further  in  any  other  aspect  of  the  war  than  its 
close,  was  sitting  in  his  office,  alone,  forlorn,  disheartened, 
on  a  day  in  February,  1815. 

Presently  French  Louis  came  knocking  at  the  door,  with 
word  that  Mr.  Fontaine  Stevens,  of  Massachusetts,  was 
without,  and  would  like  to  see  the  President.  Stevens  was 
bidden  to  step  in,  and  came,  softly,  as  one  who  would  not 
disturb  grief.  The  President  looked  at  him,  eagerly, 
"Wliat  news?"  he  asked,  motioning  him  to  be  seated. 


VALOR    &   VICTORY 


Fontaine  shook  his  head.  "You  have  heard,  doubtless, 
of  the  loss  of  the  President?" 

Mr.  Madison  bowed  his  head.  "I  have  heard  merely 
a  report  that  she  was  taken.  Has  it  been  verified  ?  Do  you 
know  the  circumstances?" 

"I  am  afraid  it  is  true,"  Fontaine  replied.     " Captain 
Decatur,  in  an  attempt  to  run  the  blockade  out  of  New  York 
and    ^Bfltoftte.     get  to  sea,  fell  in  with  and   was  chased 
by    the    entire    British   squadron.      He 
handled   one   of   them,   the   Endymion, 
which  came  up  first,  but  the  others 
compelled  him  to  strike." 

Madison  made  no  response. 
"What    news    of   this   other 
matter?"     he    asked   pre 
sently. 

"No  news.   The  com 
missioners    are    here, 
sounding    members  of 
Congress,  and  seem   to 
be  preparing  to  present 
their   demands   for   con 
stitutional    amendments." 

MAJOR-GENERAL  SIR  EDWARD  PAKENHAM  Madison    looked    at    Fon 

taine  anxiously.  "The  greater  part  of  the  people  in  that 
quarter  have  been  brought  by  their  leaders,  aided  by  their 
priests,  under  a  delusion  scarcely  exceeded  by  that  recorded 
in  the  period  of  witchcraft,"  he  said,  earnestly.  "The 
leaders  themselves,  becoming  daily  more  desperate  in  the 
use  they  make  of  it,  are  hastening  the  nation  toward  de 
struction,  toward  dissolution.  If  they  are  not  brought 
to  a  just  sense  of  the  enormity  of  their  behavior,  it  will 
mean  strife  within  this  country  beside  which  the  hardships 
and  tragedies  of  our  present  conflict  will  diminish  to 


SIMON    THWAITE    LEAVES    TOWN       417 

infinitesimal  proportions.  What  can  have  entered  the  at 
mosphere  of  New  Englanders,  who  once  were  so  spontaneous 
in  patriotism,  to  prepare  their  brains  for  this  delusion?" 

"Mr.  Madison,"  returned  Fontaine,  with  an  impulse 
to  defend  his  State  of  Massachusetts,  "you  take  too  serious 
a  view  of  this  matter,  I  opine;  for  while  the  leaders  are 
manifestly  bent  on  desperate  measures,  there  is  grave  ques 
tion  whether  the  people  can  be  prevailed  upon  to  follow 
them.  I  might  mention  to  you,  for  your  consideration  and 
comfort,  that  Massachu setts  contributed  more  volunteers 
to  last  year's  campaigns  in  Canada  than  any  other  State; 
and  that  New  England  sent  twice  as  many  men  to  the  front 
as  the  Southern  States." 

The  President  made  an  impatient  gesture  of  disagree 
ment.  "The  people  of  Massachusetts  have  never  been 
with  me,"  he  said.  "They  have  refused  to  subscribe  to 
the  bonds  we  have  been  compelled  to  issue,  although  they 
have  sent  their  specie  into  Canada  to  purchase  Dominion 
paper.  They  have  entered  into  secret  understandings  with 
the  enemy,  carried  on  illicit  commerce,  supplied  the  fleet 
that  was  blockading  their  ports,  sold  subsistence  to  the  in7 
vading  armies  while  refusing  to  sell  to  the  government;  in 
fact,  they  have  presistently  conducted  themselves  in  a  man 
ner  that,  on  the  part  of  a  neutral  nation,  would  have  involved 
them  in  war  with  us." 

"I  grant  you  that  the  merchants,  whose  trade  has 
suffered,  and  the  Federalist  leaders,  who  see  political  gain 
in  opposing  the  administration,  have  been  unfriendly;  but 
I  still  deny  that  the  people  of  New  England  are  as  a  body 
popularly  opposed  to  you  and  the  conduct  of  the  war.  At 
least,  they  have  not  been." 

"But  they  are  now,"  continued  Madison.  "When  will 
they  go  before  Congress?"  he  asked,  presently,  dismissing 
the  discussion. 


4i8 


VALOR    &   VICTORY 


"The  commissioners?     I  cannot  tell  you." 

"We  should  have  word  soon  from  the  peace  commis 
sioners  at  Ghent,"  mused  the  President.  "These  rumors 
are  unsettling;  Congress  and  the  country  will  do  nothing 
until  the  question  is  decided,  one  way  or  another." 

"The  Harpy,  a  privateer  recently  arrived  in  port,  brings 
new  rumors,"  observed  Fontaine. 

"But  we  have  had  no  word  from  Ghent  for  more  than 
a  hundred  days,  which  is  a  bad  sign,"  rejoined  Madison. 

A  knock  at  the  door.  French  Louis  again.  "A  rough, 
dirty  fellow  stands  outside,  sir,  asking  admittance,  and  tell 
ing  me  that  he  comes  from  New  Orleans  and  General  Jack 
son.  He  calls  himself  Stevens,  sir,  and  a  captain." 

"Conduct  him  here,  Louis." 

In  brief  space  Sylvester  Stevens,  tattered,  tired,  justi 
fying  French  Louis's  description  of  him  completely,  entered 
the  room,  bearing  dispatches.  Madison  could  not  wait  to 
open  them.  "What  word?"  he  cried. 

"General  Jackson  has  defeated  the  British  army  in  a 


decisive    engagement, 
and  .  are    taking  to  / 
is  freed  of  any  dan- 
reports  I  hand  you   , 

"What?"    cried 
his  feet.    "We  have  \, 
an  unconscious  con- 
that    was    in    him. 


They  have  retreated,  broken, 
L  their  boats.  New  Orleans 
ger  from  invasion.  The 
will  furnish  you  details." 
Madison,  springing  to 
won  a  fight?"  It  was 
fession  of  the  despair 
"God  be  praised!" 


UNFINISHED  MONUMENT  TO  GENERAL  JACKSON  AT  NEW  ORLEANS 


SIMON   THWAITE    LEAVES    TOWN        419 

"Mr.  Madison/'  observed  Fontaine,  reaching  to  shake 
his  hand  as  he  was  leaving  the  room,  "perhaps  our  problem 
is  solved  by  this  bit  of  news.  Who  shall  say?  They  will 
hardly  wish  to  bring  their  plans  to  an  issue  with  the  public 
in  the  frame  of  mind  this  victory  will  induce." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS       (Engraved  by  H.  B.  Hall  from  the  painting 

by  W.  Momberger) 

Nodding  his  head  in  brisk  acquiescence,  the  President 
left  the  room.  Fontaine  turned  to  the  courier.  "Your 
name  was  announced  as  Stevens?"  he  said,  affably.  "Was 
it  correctly  understood?" 

"My  name  is  Sylvester  Stevens,  sir." 

"It  is  possible  we  are  kin.  I  am  Fontaine  Stevens,  one 
time  of  Virginia,  although  I  have  been  a  citizen  of  Massa 
chusetts  since  the  close  of  the  Revolution." 

Reaching  back  through  their  ancestry,  they  traced  their 
blood  to  a  common  source  and  shook  hands  upon  it, 
although  Sylvester  did  not  seem  to  be  so  greatly  impressed 
as  the  other  with  the  coincidence  of  their  meeting,  or  the 


420 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


ceremony  with  which  his  newly  discovered  cousin  cele 
brated  it.  Perhaps  that  is  because  he  had  been  out  of  doors 
so  much  that  family  distinctions  had  faded  beneath  the 
broader  significance  of  humanity. 

Word  of  the  victory  spread  quickly.     Sylvester  had  not 
been  with  the  President  half  an  hour,  rehearsing  the  scenes 


THE  LIVE  OAK  TREES  UNDER  WHICH  PAKENHAM  DIED 

of  the  fight  to  him,  before  the  city  was  a  turbulent  mob  of 
merrymakers.  In  Congress  strong  men  wept,  beating  each 
other  inanely  on  the  back;  Federalists  relented,  and  joined 
in  the  rejoicing;  citizens  in  the  streets  danced  and  capered 
and  sang  songs;  bells  rang;  drums  beat;  cannon  boomed; 
small  boys  marched  in  procession  along  the  streets,  stam 
peding  through  the  ruins  of  the  burned  buildings,  kicking 
up  a  British  dust  of  ashes,  as  though  they  kicked  the  King 
instead. 

But  the  scene  then  was  a  mild-mannered  mumming  to 
the  riot  of  joy  that  broke  loose  a  week  later,  when  word  came 


SIMON   THWAITE    LEAVES   TOWN        421 

that  peace  was  finally  made,  and  a  treaty  signed.  This 
time  it  was  no  idle,  dubious  rumor,  but  official  information., 
borne  by  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  commission  of  peace, 
Henry  Carroll.  Never  was  such  unbounded  rejoicing, 
such  mad  celebration.  The  depressed  spirits  of  the  people, 
relieved  of  their  burdens,  flew  into  the  clouds.  There  were 
bonfires,  parades,  shouting,  backslappings,  jokes,  foolish 
ness,  tears,  laughter  without  end;  French  Louis  was  drunk 
for  a  week,  as  a  matter  of  record. 

The  wine  which  he  imbibed  was  part  of  a  supply  pro 
duced  for  consumption  by  the  President  himself,  and  his 
intoxication  was  therefore  official.  He  was  not  alone  in 
drinking  it,  although  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  was  not 
alone  in  his  benefit  by  it.  There  was  much  jollification  at 
the  President's  house  on  the  day  the  news  arrived.  Mr. 
Madison  found  it  not  at  all  difficult  to  smile ;  Dolly  Madison 
was  beaming;  Ruth,  standing  near,  felt  her  heart  fluttering 
a  little,  just  a  little,  with  the  thought  that  now  Michael 
would  soon  be  on  his  way  to  claim  her  answer. —  and  her 
lips. 

In  the  press  of  visitors,  hastening,  thrusting  others  aside 
without  due  regard  for  the  proprieties,  although  he  had  no 
wine,  came  Fontaine  Stevens.  He  might  have  been  thought 
to  have  been  with  Louis,  for  his  face  was  flushed  and  his 
eyes  were  large.  Reaching  the  President,  he  pulled  him 
about  by  the  elbow  to  have  him  attend  to  what  he  said. 
"We  have  won!"  he  cried.  "The  commissioners  have  left 
town,  slipping  out  like  whipped  dogs,"  a  simile  he  per 
mitted  himself,  perhaps,  in  memory  of  Simon  Thwaite. 

Ruth,  overhearing  the  speech  of  Fontaine,  overheard 
also  a  subdued  chuckle  that  had  a  familiar  sound.  Glancing 
about,  she  perceived  Nicholas  Snell  standing  close  beside 
her.  Since  the  scene  in  which  he  had  endeavored  to  dis 
credit  Michael  with  her,  she  had  barely  seen  him.  Learning 


422 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


what  she  did  from  Michael,  she  had  felt  constrained  to  warn 
the  President  against  him;  but  when  her  guardian  demanded 
proof   she  gave   the    matter   over   to 
chance,  not  being  willing  to  impli 
cate    her  lover  by  quoting  him 
against  Snell,  and  had  dismissed 
the  fellow  entirely  from  her 
mind. 

He    spoke,    as    she 
glanced  at  him,  appar 
ently  to  the  empty 
air      about      him. 
"Friend    Stevens 
would  not  be  so 
glad    the     dogs 
have  gone,"   he 
said,  "if  he  knew 

THE  SPOT  WHERE  JACKSON  AND  His  STAFF  STOOD  AT  THE 
BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS,  NOW  IN  THE  CHALMETTE 


NATIONAL  CEMETERY 


that  one  of  them 
took    his     lovely 

Leonora  with  him."     Whereupon  he  laughed   again;  and 

Ruth  could  not  repress  a  smile. 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE   MESSAGE   DELIVERED 

"  I  ^HE  treaty  of  peace  had  been  signed  by  the  commis- 

J.    sioners  at  Ghent  on  December  24,  1814,  more  than 

two  weeks  before  the  battle  of  New  Orleans.     Negotiations 

had  been  under  way,  indirectly,  through  the  intervention 


GHENT     (From  the  painting  by  F.  Nash) 

of  Russia,  since  the  beginning  of  the  war.  There  were 
hitches,  misunderstandings,  equivocations,  for  more  than 
a  year,  resulting  finally  in  the  sending  of  five  peace  commis 
sioners  to  Ghent  to  meet  with  three  commissioners  from 
England.  Representing  the  United  States  were  John 
Quincy  Adams,  Albert  Gallatin,  Henry  Clay,  James  A. 
Bayard,  and  Jonathan  Russell.  After  much  bickering, 
the  terms  of  a  treaty  had  been  hit  upon.  All  questions  be 
tween  the  countries  were  restored  by  it  to  the  state  in 

423 


424 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


which  they  had  been  before  the  war.  England  conceded 
nothing;  not  a  word  was  said  about  impressment,  trade, 
or  the  fisheries.  But  it  was  peace,  and  as  such  was  wel 
comed  in  America. 

But  though  the  war  had  gained  no  material  advantage, 
it  proved  to  be  of  unknown  value  to  the  country.     It  left  the 
United  States  free  from  foreign  entangle 
ments,  and  free  from  the  danger  of 
any,  now  that  Napoleon  was  out 
of   the   way.     It   terminated   the 
colonial    attitude    of    Americans 
toward  Europe;   it  gave  the  na 
tion  a  sense  of  individuality,  an 
ego.     The    people    had    learned 
that  their  hope  lay  in  the  West,  not 
the  East;    that   their  wealth  and 
future  must  be  wrested  from 
the  land,  rather  than  brought 
across  the  sea.     American 
nationality  dates  from  the  second 
war/  with  England. 

The  cost  was  not  too  high. 
Not  more  than  30,000  men  had 
been  lost  in  the  two  years  of 
fighting,  —  a  number  small  in 
comparison  with  the  losses  in  several  single  battles  in  the 
Civil  War.  In  money,  the  cost  was  about  $200,000,000. 
The  effects  of  war  were  felt  most  severely  in  the  high  cost 
of  commodities,  such  as  groceries  and  iron,  and  the  low 
price  of  staples,  for  which  producers  could  find  little  or  no 
market  during  the  war. 

In  May,  five  months  after  the  close  of  the  war,  the  frigate 
Constitution  entered  New  York  harbor  with  news  of  a  fight 
in  January  with  two  British  vessels,  the  Levant  and  the 


THE  CAIRN  AT  QUINCY,  MASSACHU 
SETTS,  MARKING  THE  SPOT  WHERE 
ABIGAIL  ADAMS  AND  JOHN  QUINCY 
ADAMS,  THEN  A  BOY  OF  EIGHT, 
WATCHED  THE  BURNING  OF  CHARLES- 
TOWN  BY  THE  BRITISH  IN  1775 


THE   MESSAGE   DELIVERED 


425 


Cyane,  in  which  she  had  captured  them  both.  She  had 
been  in  port  no  more  than  five  days,  when  a  fleet  of  fifteen 
ships,  under  Stephen  Decatur,  was  sent  to  the  Mediter 
ranean  to  chastise  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  who  had  been  seizing 
American  vessels  during  the  war  with  England,  on  the 
pretense  that  the  United  States  had  been 
derelict  in  making  the  annual  tribute. 

But  that  war  the  country  soon 
forgot.     Hungry    for    peace,    the 
people  hastened  to  resume  the 
purposes  of  peace  without  fear 
of  interruption  from  the  bar 
barians,  and  prosperity  came 
swiftly. 

To  Ruth  peace  brought 
mingled  sensations  of  gladness 
and  sadness.  She  rejoiced  that 
the  burden  and  opprobrium  of 
the  war  had  been  removed  from 
her  guardian's  shoulders;  she 
glad,  impersonally,  that  there  was 
be  no  more  fighting;  but  she  was  not 
wholly  happy  at  the  thought  of  Michael  NAPOLEON  IN  1815 
Forbeson.  She  had  had  word  from  him,  sent  from  Canada, 
telling  her  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  England  to  prepare  a 
place  there  for  her,  and  that  he  would  return  in  the  autumn 
to  demand  her  answer  —  and  her  lips. 

The  little  inconsistency  involved  in  preparing  a  home 
before  he  had  her  answer  was  purely  Celtic,  and  rather 
delightful.  At  the  same  time,  she  felt  that  it  committed 
her  more  than  her  own  words  had  already  done.  She  knew, 
now  that  she  contemplated  marriage,  that  she  did  not  wholly 
love  him,  as  she  should;  that  she  never  could  love  him,  be 
cause  of  that  other  love  which  still  lay  in  her  soul's  deep 


was 


426  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

places.  Still,  she  had  given  her  word,  and  she  would  abide 
by  it. 

October  came,  and  with  it  Michael.  He  found  Ruth 
sitting  before  the  hearth  in  the  President's  house,  an  open 
book  in  her  lap,  unaware  for  a  moment  of  his  presence. 
"Ruth,  my  girl!"  he  cried,  "have  you  no  eyes  or  ears  for 
your  lover?" 

She  started  from  her  chair  with  an  exclamation  of  sur 
prise.  "Michael,"  she  said,  "when  did  you  come?" 

"You  do  not  think  I  have  been  here  long,  do  you  ?  Not 
many  days,  at  least."  She  looked  at  him,  confused,  unable 
to  think.  He  raised  her  hand  to  his  breast.  "Ruth,"  he 
said,  "have  you  no  lips  for  your  lover?" 

She  smiled,  as  he  thought  with  a  constraint  of  timidity 
or  modesty;  but  it  was  with  a  wistful  sadness  which  few 
hearts  can  know.  With  lowered  lids,  she  held  up  her  lips 
to  him,  and  he  kissed  her. 

"And  have  you  no  answer  for  me?" 

"Is  not  that  an  answer?" 

"You  might  at  least  do  me  the  favor  of  telling  me  that 
you  love  me." 

"Do  you  think  I  kiss  where  I  do  not  love ?" 

"No,  Ruth;  but  you  must  confess  't  is  somewhat  of  a 
cold  reception  that  you  give  me,  returning  after  many  months 
of  exile.  I  have  forsworn  my  country,  turned  double-edged 
traitor,  fought  against  my  flag,  thrust  my  neck  in  the  noose, 
and  would  have  stopped  at  nothing  else  that  might  have 
been  asked  of  me,  all  for  the  love  of  you.  And,  on  my  life, 
I  think  you  scarce  love  me  after  all,  Ruth."  Forbeson  was 
half  jocose,  yet  half  in  earnest. 

She  looked  up  at  him  seriously.  "If  you  think  I  do  not 
love  you,  you  will  make  me  unhappy,  and  be  unhappy  your 
self.  You  must  always  believe  that  I  do,  for  my  sake,  and 
your  own;  you  must  especially  believe  it  now.  Perhaps, 


THE   MESSAGE   DELIVERED  429 

Michael,  I  do  not  love  you  as  I  should,  and  as  I  would  wish 
to.  I  want  you  to  understand;  I  want  you  to  know  before 
you  ask  me  for  my  answer.  I  admire  you,  I  esteem  you, 
I  have  full  faith  in  you,  I  am  happy  with  you.  You  mean  very 
much  to  me,  and  I  love  you  as  much  as  I  could  love  any 
man  who  lives.  But  my  affection  for  you  is  overshadowed, 
and  will  be  overshadowed,  by  another  love  — a  love  of  my 
childhood,  of  my  girlhood.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  this,  before 
I  gave  you  my  answer,  because  you  may  not  want  my  an 
swer,  knowing  it." 

"And  this  other  love,  what  befell  it?"  asked  Michael, 
grown  in  turn  deeply  serious.  "  There  is  no  hope  that  it 
may  be  revived?" 

"The  man  is  dead.  He  died  of  wounds  received  in  a 
sea-fight,  and  was  buried  at  sea.  His  name  was  - 

"I  care  not  for  his  name,"  interrupted  Michael  Forbe- 
son,  being  a  man.  "And  this  much  I  will  tell  you,  Ruth," 
-  he  was  going  on,  when  she  interrupted  him. 

"I  want  you  to  know  his  name,  and  more  than  that,  lest 
Snell  try  to  conjure  some  mischief  to  us  out  of  it."  With 
that  she  told  him  about  Richard  Morris  briefly,  omitting 
only  certain  doubts  that  had  come  into  her  mind  from  time 
to  time  during  his  long  silence.  At  the  end  Forbeson  took 
her  hand  and  pressed  it  gently. 

"Ruth,"  said  he,  "you  must  think  ill  of  me  if  you  can 
believe  I  would  wish  to  withdraw  my  question  for  that;  at 
least,  on  my  account.  I  would  do  so,  and  turn  you  free,  for 
your  sake,  if  I  did  not  think  that  my  love  for  you  would 
prove  enough  to  make  you  happy,  if  you  will  but  give  it  the 
chance.  And  now  Ruth,  will  you  give  me  your  answer?" 

"My  answer  is,  Michael,  that  I  will  go  with  you  as  your 
wife,  if  you  can  take  me  with  the  dust  that  is  in  my  heart." 

"You  give  me  overmuch.  May  God  give  me  strength 
and  wisdom  to  make  you  a  good  return." 


430  VALOR  &   VICTORY 

For  a  space  they  were  silent,  Michael  looking  deeply  into 
her  eyes,  without  offering  to  embrace  her;  she  returned  the 
gaze  fully,  until  she  could  do  so  no  more  without  throwing 
her  arms  about  his  neck  and  drawing  herself  close  to  his 
breast,  with  a  sense  of  protection,  of  refuge.  Presently 
they  grew  calm  enough  to  converse  about  less  important 
matters. 

"  And  whom  do  you  think  I  have  brought  with  me,  to  be 
at  our  wedding?"  he  cried  presently,  holding  her  at  arms' 
length  with  a  hand  on  each  shoulder. 

"I  cannot  guess,  Michael." 

"No,  but  you  know,  though.  A  kinswoman  of  mine, 
she  is,  who  married  a  cousin  of  my  own  mother;  and  when 
I  told  her  where  I  was  coming,  and  what  I  was  coming  for, 
nothing  would  do  but  that  she  must  come  too;  in  which  I 
was  not  willing  to  cross  her,  she  having  lately  lost  her  hus 
band  in  the  war,  and  thinking  further  that  you  would  be 
joyed  to  see  her." 

"I  should  at  least  be  glad  to  know  who  she  is,"  prompted 
Ruth. 

"On  my  life,  did  I  not  tell  you?"  laughed  Michael. 
"Why,  she  is  one  who  once  was  a  friend  of  yours,  of  the  name 
of  Margaret  Rutgers — and  she  stands  outside  at  this  moment, 
waiting  for  me  to  have  done  with  my  foolishness." 

A  tumult  of  emotions  rushed  through  Ruth  as  she  waited 
for  Michael  to  fetch  Margaret.  Primarily,  and  always, 
she  was  rejoiced  to  see  her  friend  again;  but  over  it  all  lay 
a  little  sad  uncertainty  of  what  the  effect  of  her  presence 
would  be;  a  little  misgiving  lest  the  story  she  had  lived 
should  throw  a  deeper  shadow  over  the  coming  event  than 
the  one  already  inevitably  resting  upon  it.  In  the  midst  of 
thinking  about  herself,  there  flashed  through  her  mind  the 
thought  of  others;  of  Margaret  and  Sylvester;  the  sudden 
comprehension  that  they  would  see  each  other;  that  now, 


THE  MESSAGE  DELIVERED  433 

perhaps,  their  way  would  be  made  smooth.  In  that  mo 
ment  there  was  a  new  mingling  of  rejoicing  and  sorrow. 
She  could  be  very  happy  in  their  happiness,  if  it  were  to  be, 
but  it  made  her  own  lot  the  more  unhappy  by  contrast. 
She  thought  of  the  distinct  parallel  between  Margaret's 
story  and  her  own,  up  to  a  certain  point;  of  the  deep  love 
each  had  experienced;  of  their  marriage  with  another,  who, 
in  each  case,  was  not  a  countryman ;  of  the  sadness  in  Mar 
garet's  life  which,  she  was  certain,  would  have  a  counterpart 
in  her  own.  Then,  with  a  pang,  she  came  to  the  divergence 
in  the  parallel;  Margaret's  lover  was  given  back  to  her, 
but  hers  was  dead.  She  burst  into  tears  —  tears,  almost,  of 
angry  resentment. 

Tender  arms  were  about  her.  She  raised  her  eyes,  and 
looked  into  the  face  of  Margaret,  sanctified  by  sacrificial 
sorrows,  beatific,  beneficent,  and  was  comforted.  If  the 
parallel  ran  that  far,  there  was  compensation! 

There  was  no  place  there  for  Michael,  as  he  soon  found 
out,  with  considerable  astonishment  and  some  indignation. 
But  he  made  the  most  of  it,  which  was  to  go  away. 

Long,  low,  loving,  was  the  talk  between  the  two  women. 
Ruth  told  her  that  Richard  was  dead,  and  how  he  had  died. 
Though  neither  said  the  least  thing  to  the  point,  each  under 
stood  the  heart  of  the  other  before  they  finished.  Margaret, 
knowing  Ruth's  heart,  was  silent  concerning  her  approach 
ing  marriage. 

In  course  of  time  Michael  was  announced,  and  Margaret 
rose  to  go.  "There  is  some  one  here  in  Washington  whom 
you  used  to  know,"  said  Ruth,  taking  her  hand  to  detain  her 
a  moment. 

"Some  one  I  used  to  know?"  repeated  Margaret,  not 
guessing  who  it  was. 

"Would  you  like  to  see  him?"  Ruth  asked,  searching 
her  eyes  with  a  look  that  told  her. 


434 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


Margaret,  trembling,  dropped  her  lids.  "Do  you  think 
he  would  care  to  see  me?" 

For  answer,  Ruth  kissed  her  on  the  brow.  There  was 
no  further  word  between  them  concerning  Sylvester,  Michael 
entering  at  the  moment. 

It  was  several  days  before  Margaret  and  Sylvester  met. 
Then  it  was  by  the  design  of  Ruth,  who  left  them  alone  in 
the  drawing-room  at  the  President's  house,  whither  she  had 

lured  them  with  pre 
texts.  "Ruth  tells 
me  that  you  are  a 
wonderful  traveler 
and  explorer,"  said 
Margaret,  breaking, 


NAPOLEON'S  PRISON  AT  SAINT  HELENA 


by  a  struggle,  the  in 
tense  silence  that  had 
followed  their  being 
left  alone. 

"Yes,"  assented 
Sylvester,  thinking  of 
the  message  he  had  to  deliver.  "That  is,"  recovering  him 
self,  "I  have  been  much  of  a  wanderer." 

"I  shall  want  you  to  tell  me  about  it,  sometime,"  said 
Margaret. 

"It  is  nothing,  I  am  afraid,  that  would  interest  a  woman," 
returned  Sylvester. 

"You  think  you  are  a  judge  of  what  will  interest  a  wo 
man?"  laughed  Margaret,  wholly  ill  at  ease  and  dissatisfied 
with  herself. 

"I  only  know  that  it  is  not  particularly  interesting  to 
any  one."  Sylvester  was  no  happier  than  she. 

"That  is  either  very  selfish  or  very  modest  of  you,  Mr. 
Stevens." 

Sylvester's  eyes  ran  about  the  corners  of  the  room;   he 


THE   MESSAGE   DELIVERED  435 

was  getting  farther  and  farther  from  the  message.  "I  have 
had  some  experiences  that  might  have  an  interest,"  he  said. 
"I  have  been  a  soldier." 

"Ruth  has  told  me." 

"I  have  fought  the  Indians,  and  I  have  fought  the  Eng 
lish."  He  looked  at  her  fully,  for  the  first  time. 

" Where?"  she  asked,  divining  something  in  his  gaze. 

"At  New  Orleans,"     His  look  held  hers. 

"My  husband,  Major  Erskine,  was  killed  there,"  she 
said,  under  her  breath. 

"Yes,  leading  his  men  to  the  charge.     He  died  bravely." 

She  seemed  to  feel  the  untruth  of  that.  For  the  first 
time  since  he  had  looked  at  her,  her  gaze  faltered  from  his 
eyes.  But  it  returned  quickly.  "You  saw  him?"  she 
whispered. 

"I  was  with  him  when  he  died,  by  chance.  I  went  into 
the  field  where  he  lay." 

"How  did  you  know  it  was  my  husband?"  asked  Mar 
garet,  puzzled. 

"I  did  not,  until  he  told  me." 

"He  told  you?" 

"Without  knowing  who  I  was,  or  that  I  knew  you.  It 
is  not  unusual  for  a  man  to  send  a  dying  message  through 
a  stranger.  It  was  only  chance  that  I  was  one  who  knew 
you." 

Margaret's  eyes  fell  from  Sylvester's  face.  "Did  he 
send  me  a  message?"  she  faltered. 

Sylvester,  rising,  passed  to  the  window,  where  he  stood, 
not  looking  toward  Margaret  as  he  spoke.  "I  am  sorry  it 
is  I  who  must  tell  you,"  he  said.  "It  would  be  far  better 
if  it  could  be  a  stranger." 

"I  would  rather  it  were  you,"  breathed  Margaret. 

Sylvester  made  no  acknowledgment  of  that.  "He 
said  that  he  had  been  but  a  poor  wretch,  and  that  he  had 


436 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


made  another  wretched.  'Ask  her  to  forgive  me/  were 
his  words.  'I  have  tried  my  best,  which  was  ill  enough.  If 
I  had  known  how  I  should  fail,  before  God  I  would  have 
leapt  into  the  sea  before  I  would  have  asked  her  to  be  my 
wife;  for  I  loved  her.'  "  He  paused. 

"Was  there  more?"  she  asked,  with  voice  half  choked. 
" These  are  his  words.     'I  did  not  know  it,'  he  said. 
'  She  never  told  me,  but  I  guessed.     There  was  another  she 

loved.  He  lived 
in  her  heart 
always.'  "  Syl 
vester's  voice  fal 
tered.  When  he 
continued,  it  was 
barely  above  a 
whisper.  "'Find 
her,'  he  said, 
'and  tell  her  that 
I  knew  it  at  the 
last,  and  forgave 
her.'  " 

A    silence , 
broken    only    by 

NAPOLEON'S  BURIAL  PLACE  AT  SAINT  HELENA  ^e    sobbing"    of 

Margaret,  sitting  with  her  hands  clasped  before  her  face. 

"I  will  send  Ruth  to  you,"  said  Sylvester,  stepping 
toward  the  door. 

"No."  Margaret,  rising  swiftly,  laid  a  hand  on  his 
shoulder.  "Do  not  do  that."  For  a  moment  they  stood, 
fixed,  and  silent.  "Can't  you  see,"  she  hastened  to  say, 
her  whole  life  rushing  into  the  moment,  "can  't  you 
understand  I  —  I  had  rather  have  you  stay?" 


BOOK  IV 

ON   MANY   SEAS 


CHAPTER  I 
UNDER  THE   ENEMY'S   FLAG 

AS  I  have  said,  I  was  not  in  the  habit  of  turning  to 
drink,  either  lightly  for  amusement,  or  as  a  solace 
from  the  weightier  vexations  of  life.  When  I  was  once  well 
within  the  tavern  toward  which  I  turned  back  from  my 
way  through  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  I  was  still  of  two 
minds  whether  to  have  a  glass  of  wine,  when  I  was  hailed 
by  name  in  a  voice  that  was  not  wholly  unfamiliar  to  me. 
I  turned,  and  saw  sitting  there  Nicholas  Snell. 

"You  make  rather  free  with  names  not  your  own,"  said 
I,  approaching  him,  prepared  to  renew  the  ancient  encounter. 

"If  I  make  free  with  the  name  Morris,  it  is  not  for  you 
to  complain,  for  it  is  not  your  name,  either,  as  is  well  known." 

"It  is  mine  for  use,  and  I  shall  defend  it  from  your 
rotten  tongue!"  cried  I,  beside  myself.  I  stepped  toward 
him,  threatening,  and  would  have  struck  him  had  he  not 
been  too  great  a  coward  to  rise  from  his  chair. 

"Come,  Morris,  fair  words,"  he  said.  "I  only  made 
a  jest  of  it." 

That  was  too  much.  I  fell  upon  him,  seated  as  he  was, 
dragged  him  out  upon  the  floor,  and  was  beating  him,  when 
the  people  about  the  place  came  to  his  rescue;  though  not 
without  damage  given  and  received  in  the  act.  But  at  last 
all  fell  calm,  Snell  himself  seeking  peace,  and  asking  for 


giveness  like  a  man. 


437 


438 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


If  I  had  had  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  I  might  have  seen 
the  guile  behind  the  man's  smooth  ways;  but  being  no  wiser 
than  a  sailor,  I  was  soon  prevailed  upon  to  have  liquor  with 
him.  I  took  neat  rum;  and  nothing  would  do  but  I  must 
have  a  second.  Loath  to  seem  lacking 
in  magnanimity,  I  drank  again. 
As  I  have  said,  I  was  not  one  used 
to  liquor  and  its  effects,  and  my 
head  soon  began  to  swim.  I 
staggered  to  the  door,  for  a 
breath  of  air.  Then  all  wqnt 
black,  and  I  went  down  on 
the  floor  spinning. 

When  I  was  revived  by 
the  feel  of  fresh  air  against 
my  cheeks,  I  found  myself  at 
sea,  one  of  the   crew  of  the 
ship    Nancy    Bells,    American 
merchantman,  and  knew  that  I 
had  been  impressed  through  the 
villainy  of  Snell. 

The  ship  on  which  I  had  been 
impressed  was  bound  for  China. 
A  year  passed  before  we  were  on 
the  homeward  voyage.  I  had  one  opportunity  in  the 
period  to  write  a  letter  to  Ruth,  which  I  made  the  most  of; 
but  the  vessel  on  which  my  missive  was  sent  went  to  the 
bottom,  as  we  afterward  learned.  I  was  forced  to  console 
myself  with  the  prospect  of  solving  the  mystery  and  the 
promise  of  quitting  myself  with  Snell  as  soon  as  we  should 
arrive  in  port. 

But  it  was  not  to  be.  In  Valparaiso  harbor  was  a  British 
sloop-of-war,  officers  from  which  came  aboard  us  one  morn 
ing  demanding  the  return  of  British  sailors  whom  they  in- 


COMMODORE  ISAAC  HULL     (From 
the  portrait  by  Stuart} 


UNDER  THE  ENEMY'S  FLAG     439 

sisted  we  had  aboard.  That  morning  I  was  convinced  that 
the  behavior  of  the  captain  and  officers  of  the  Nancy  Bells 
toward  me  was  inspired  by  Snell,  and  that  I  was  the  victim 
of  a  conspiracy  on  the  part  of  the  villain;  for  the  officers 
had  no  more  than  come  aboard  than  the  captain,  pointing 
me  out  to  them,  whispered  in  their  ears,  and  I  was  taken 
from  the  ship  and  put  in  the  crew  of  the  British  war  vessel. 

What  I  endured  for  the  next  few  years  is  not  fit  to  be 
written.  From  the  first  I  was  stubborn  and  refractory, 
preferring  to  die  rather  than  serve  on  a  ship  of  tyranny.  I 
sometimes  wished  that  they  would  kill  me;  it  would  have 
been  better  for  me  at  the  time.  I  was  never  free  from 
bruises  and  sprains,  caused  by  the  inhuman  brutality  of  the 
officers  above  me ;  and  for  one  period  of  six  months  my  back 
was  raw  from  flogging.  Yet  the  worst  infliction  was  their 
refusal  to  permit  me  to  write  the  least  line  home. 

All  this  time  a  crisis  between  England  and  my  own  coun 
try  was  approaching.  We  heard  mutterings  of  it  about 
ship,  sometimes  from  poor  fellows  who  had  been  taken  from 
American  merchantmen,  and  sometimes  from  the  British 
crew.  In  course  of  time  some  of  the  frigates  were  ordered 
to  American  waters  to  cruise  up  and  down  before  their  ports, 
searching  merchantmen  for  British  sailors.  I  was  on  the 
frigate  Guerriere,  thirty-eight  guns,  when  she  was  sent  to  the 
station  off  New  York.  I  was  on  her  when  she  overhauled 
and  boarded  the  American  brig  Spitfire,  from  Portland  to 
New  York,  fifteen  miles  from  the  city,  and  took  off  one  John 
Deguy,  a  citizen  of  America.  Is  it  possible  to  imagine  my 
feelings  on  being  compelled  to  serve  on  an  enemy's  ship  that 
seized  citizens  of  my  own  country  at  their  very  doorsteps, 
so  to  speak? 

But  the  time  was  coming!  The  outrage  against  the 
Spitfire  was  committed  on  May  i,  1811.  Within  a  year 
my  country  had  declared  war  on  England,  and  I  knew  that 


440 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


there  would  be  a  chance  for  me  sooner  or  later;  for  the 
Guerriere,  now  under  command  of  Captain  James  Richard 
Dacres,  was  still  in  American  waters. 

On  July  17,  1812,  as  we  were  cruising  off  the  Jersey 
coast,  making  a  southwesterly  course  off  Barnegat,  we  spied 
a  sail  well  ahead,  which  aroused  the  curiosity  and  interest  of 


THE  "CoN 


HE  CHARLES  TOWN  NAVY  YARD 


Captain  Dacres,  so  that  he  crowded  on  sail  and  made  for 
her.  The  stranger  seemed  willing  enough,  coming  up  on 
a  south  slant  of  wind  with  her  starboard  stun'sails  set,  and 
a  pretty  sight  she  was! 

As  we  drew  together,  Captain  Dacres  made  out  a  fleet 
of  four  sail  to  the  northeast,  bearing  on,  which  he  mistook  to 
be  the  squadron  under  Commodore  Rodgers,  of  the  Ameri 
can  navy.  With  that  belief,  when  the  stranger  came  close 
Captain  Dacres  wore  ship  and  fell  in  step  with  her,  not  caring 
to  engage  in  the  presence  of  a  hostile  force.  This  happened 
at  dusk.  All  night  long  we  sailed  silently  side  by  side, 
cleared  for  action,  battle  lanterns  lit,  decks  sanded,  waiting 


UNDER  THE  ENEMY'S  FLAG     441 

for  the  shock.  It  turned  out  that  she  was  the  Constitution. 
and  that  the  four  ships  were  British.  All  joined  in  a  pur 
suit  of  the  American  frigate  which  lasted  two  days,  but  by  a 
shrewd  Yankee  trick.  Captain  Hull  saved  his  vessel  for  a 
better  fate. 

By  great  good  fortune  it  was  my  vessel,  the  Guerriere, 
that  fell  in  with  her  at  last;  though  the  victory  was  not  on 
the  side  where  it  was  expected  to  rest.  We  had  been  in 
Halifax,  overhauling,  after  the  chase,  and  were  cruising 
well  to  the  eastward  of  that  port,  when,  on  August  19,  at 
about  4  bells  of  the  afternoon  watch,  we  saw  a  sail  to  the 
northward,  we  then  being  on  a  southwesterly  course. 

We  had  no  sooner  seen  her  than  she,  apparently,  saw 
us,  and  eased  off,  to  come  toward  us.  Captain  Dacres  was 
uncertain  what  the  nature  of  the  stranger  was,  but  presently 
discovering  her  to  be  an  American  vessel,  he  said  to  his  crew: 
"Boys,  there  is  a  Yankee  cruiser.  In  forty-five  minutes 
she  will  be  ours;  take  her  in  fifteen  and  it  will  be  four 
months'  pay  for  you." 

From  the  willingness  which  each  displayed  to  meet  the 
other,  I  knew  there  was  going  to  be  a  fight.  Perhaps  there 
was  no  one  on  board,  not  even  the  captains  of  the  respective 
ships,  to  whom  the  outcome  represented  as  much  as  to  me. 

At  5:45,  with  the  American  on  our  larboard  quarter,  the 
firing  began.  I  shall  never  forget  the  feeling  that  ran 
through  me  when  the  deck  heaved,  and  trembled,  shivering, 
into  rest  again,  at  the  first  broadside  from  the  British  ship. 
We  were  still  200  yards  apart,  and  the  damage  was  not  of 
consequence,  on  either  side.  My  duty  being  below,  I  was 
forced  to  go  to  the  cockpit. 

I  had  not  been  there  long  before  the  wounded  began  to 
be  brought  down  to  us, —  men  mangled  with  shot,  impaled 
on  great  ragged  pieces  of  wood,  splintered  by  the  cannon 
balls  striking  the  wooden  sides  of  the  ship ;  bruised,  broken, 


442  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

bleeding.  The  din  above,  the  roaring  of  guns,  the  crashing 
of  shot  against  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  the  hurrahs  of  the 
fighters,  the  groans  and  screams  of  the  wounded,  the  bustle 
along  the  decks,  the  excitement  which  seemed  to  impart  it 
self  to  the  ship,  quivering  as  it  was  with  the  shock  of  her  own 
broadsides,  became  at  last  more  than  I  could  bear,  and  I 
rushed  on  deck. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  sight  that  met  my  eyes.  Not  forty 
yards  away  on  our  larboard  beam,  a  volcano  of  cannon  fire, 
was  the  Constitution,  discharging  broadsides  with  a  swiftness 
that  I  had  never  seen  equaled,  and  with  an  effect  that  was 
appalling,  even  to  me,  to  whom  it  was  a  promise  of  salvation. 

The  British  sailors,  stripped  to  the  waist,  grim,  deter 
mined,  fought  bravely,  loading  and  firing  their  guns  with 
steady  speed.  But  this  I  noticed.  Whereas  the  American 
sailors  whom  I  had  seen  fighting  spent  time  in  aiming  their 
pieces  with  care  so  that  they  hit  something,  the  British 
thought  that  they  did  all  that  was  needful  to  win  a  fight  by 
firing  their  guns  heedlessly,  as  soon  as  they  were  loaded. 
I  overdraw  the  picture,  but  it  is  true  in  large  measure. 

As  I  stood  by  the  mainmast  a  shot  struck  the  mizzen- 
mast,  cutting  it  down.  The  mass  of  wreckage  —  mast,  spars, 
sails,  shrouds  —  went  over  the  starboard  quarter,  dragging 
in  the  water,  and  bringing  the  Guerriere  up  into  the  wind, 
despite  the  rudder  and  headsails. 

Swinging  slowly  head  on  to  the  Constitution,  the  situation 
of  the  British  frigate  was  desperate  indeed;  but  there  was 
not  a  man  aboard  who  flinched  from  the  final  moment.  As 
she  swung,  the  Americans,  my  countrymen,  poured  in  two 
deadly  raking  broadsides. 

Five  minutes  after  the  mizzenmast  went  over  the  quar 
ter,  the  Guerriere' s  bowsprit  was  above  the  quarter-deck 
of  the  American.  I  saw  the  British  preparing  to  board. 
I  watched  them  like  one  from  another  planet,  who  had  no 


^ 


UNDER  THE  ENEMY'S  FLAG     445 

part  in  what  was  going  forward  —  a  curious  observer.  I 
saw  Captain  Dacres,  standing  on  the  bulwarks  to  inspire 
his  men,  hit  in  the  back  by  a  musket  ball  from  the  American's 
top ;  I  saw  Lieutenant  Bush,  whom  I  knew,  leap  on  the  rail 
of  the  Constitution  to  lead  the  boarders  away,  and  fall  dead, 
with  a  bullet  through  his  skull;  I  saw  Lieutenant  Morris 
shot  down,  with  a  bullet  through  his  body,  and  saw  him  rise 
again  and  fight. 

I  saw,  presently,  the  bowsprit  of  the  Guerriere  gradually 
wheeling  away  from  the  quarter-deck;  I  saw  it  foul  on  the 
taffrail;  I  saw  it  tug  against  the  forward  stays,  slackening 
them;  I  saw  the  foremast  give  a  jerk,  sway,  go  by  the  top, 
and  strike  against  the  mainstays.  I  felt  the  mast  by  which 
I  stood  creaking  and  groaning;  I  looked  about  me,  and  saw 
it  topple  into  the  ocean.  The  Guerriere  lay  rolling  in  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  a  hopeless  wreck ;  and  I  was  free !  Scarce 
able  to  stifle  a  shout  in  my  throat,  I  leapt  again  to  the  task 
in  the  cockpit,  contrite  for  having  deserted  the  men. 

The  Constitution,  which  had  drawn  off  when  the  last 
of  the  masts  of  the  Guerriere  went  down,  returned  after 
making  repairs  to  her  rigging  and  was  ready  to  renew  the 
fight.  By  this  time  the  British  frigate,  totally  dismasted, 
lay  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  rolling  her  muzzles  under. 
Further  resistance  was  impossible,  and  Dacres  surrendered, 
reluctantly  enough.  "I  will  not  take  a  sword  from  one 
who  knows  so  well  how  to  use  it,"  said  Captain  Hull,  of  the 
Constitution,  when  Dacres  went  aboard,  "but  I  '11  trouble 
you  for  that  hat."  The  two  had  once  made  a  wager,  when 
in  port  together,  on  the  outcome  of  a  fight  between  their 
vessels,  if  one  should  ever  come  about. 

You  may  be  sure  I  was  not  long  in  making  my  name  and 
condition  known  to  Lieutenant  Read,  who  came  off  to  the 
Guerriere  demanding  the  surrender.  He  would  have  taken 
me  aboard  the  Constitution  at  once  but  that  I  desired  to  be 


446  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

of  what  further  assistance  I  could  in  the  cockpit.  It  was 
not  long  before  I  found  myself  once  more  on  the  deck  of  an 
American  ship,  a  free  citizen,  and  a  free  man. 

It  was  then  that  I  first  realized  the  remarkable  results  of 
this  sea  duel.  The  Constitution  was  scarcely  scarred.  She 
was  ready  for  another  fight  by  the  time  she  returned,  at  7 


THE  HARBOR  or  VALPARAISO  IN  OLDEN  DAYS     (From  an  etching) 

o'clock,  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  enemy.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Guerriere  was  such  a  wreck,  alow  and  aloft, 
that  no  attempt  was  made  to  fit  her  for  a  voyage  back  to 
port.  She  was  blown  up  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  follow 
ing  the  engagement.  The  loss  on  board  the  Constitution 
was  seven  killed  and  seven  wounded;  the  Guerriere  lost 
fifteen  killed  and  sixty-three  wounded. 

As  soon  as  we  had  taken  off  all  prisoners  and  blown  up 
the  hulk,  we  made  a  course  for  Boston.  In  the  enthusiasm 
of  being  once  more  among  friends,  I  entered  the  service  of 
the  navy  again,  trusting  to  Providence  to  enable  me  to  see 


UNDER    THE    ENEMY'S    FLAG 


447 


Ruth  on  my  return ;  a  trust  I  was  to  rue  bitterly  before  long. 
There  was  great  jubilation  on  our  return;  the  country  went 
wild,  I  myself  receiving  no  little  attention,  the  story  of  my 
experiences  having  been  spread  on  board  the  Constitution 
by  some  of  my  former  shipmates  who  had  been  in  somewhat 
the  same  case,  and  had  got  ashore;  so  the  tale  got  into  the 
public  prints;  but  incorrectly,  representing  me  as  being  in 
irons  at  the  time  of  the  Guerriere's  surrender. 

At  last,  with  the  permission  of  Captain  Hull,  I  contrived 
to  get  away  from  the  town,  and  made  my  way  with  all  haste 
to  Philadelphia  in  search  of  Ruth.  Reaching  Philadelphia, 
I  found  she  had  gone  from  the  town  for  many  years.  I  was 
in  despair  until  I  learned  at  last  that  she  was  with  the 
President's  household,  in  Washington,  President  Madison 
being  some  distant  kin.  I  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  for 
Washington,  when  peremptory  orders  came  to  me  to  pro 
ceed  at  once  to  Boston  and  join  the  crew  of  the  frigate 
United  States,  forty-four  guns,  as  fourth  lieutenant.  Stop 
ping  only  to  write  a  hasty  word  to  Ruth,  I  turned  my  face 
toward  Boston,  sad  at  heart  for  having  failed  to  see  her,  but 
proud  to  feel  that  my  services  were  such  that  I  had  been 
made  the  object  of  special  orders  of  a  peremptory  nature. 

We  sailed  from  Boston 

on  Oc-  i  tober 


IN  THE  HARBOR  OF  VALPARAISO  TO-DAY 


448 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


8,  in  company  with  the  President,  forty-four  guns,  Captain 
John  Rodgers;  the  Congress,  thirty-six  guns,  Captain  John 
Smith,  and  the  brig  Argus,  sixteen  guns,  Master- Command 
ant  Arthur  Sinclair.  Four  days  later  the  United  States  and 
the  Argus  parted  company  with  the  others,  and  in  a  few 

days  our  frigate, 
alone,  was 
headed  for  the 
east. 

I  found  my 
circumstance 
very  fortunate 
on  board  the 
United  States, 
for  she  was  in 
command  of 
Stephen  Decat- 
ur,  with  whom 
I  had  been  in 
the  Mediterra 
nean,  and  who 
remembering 
me,  exhibited 
toward  me 
great  kindness 
and  affection ; 
but  not  at  the 
sacrifice  of  discipline,  it  should  be  stated. 

This  was  soon  to  show  in  the  supreme  test  —  a  conflict 
with  an  enemy's  ship.  One  day  in  the  same  month,— 
October  25,  to  be  exact, —  on  a  Sunday,  we  were  sailing  to  the 
eastward  on  the  port  tack,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Azores. 
There  was  a  spanking  breeze  from  north-by-west;  the  sea 
ran  full,  a  blossoming  field  of  white-flowered  waves;  the 


CAPTAIN   STEPHEN   DECATUR 

Chappell) 


(From  the   painting   by 


UNDER  THE  ENEMY'S  FLAG     449 

ocean  was  like  a  limpid  jewel  running  solid  and  swift  under 
foot.  It  was  after  breakfast;  the  men,  as  was  their  custom, 
were  making  a  holiday  of  the  Sabbath,  when  the  lookout 
cried  "Sail-ho!"  from  his  swinging  perch  on  the  royal  yard. 

The  stranger  was  off  the  port  bow,  to  windward,  and 
heading  toward  us  under  heavy  canvas,  as  though  she  feared 
we  might  make  off  without  meeting  her.  Nothing  was  more 
remote  from  the  intentions  of  Stephen  Decatur.  All  hands 
were  piped,  the  ship  was  cleared  for  action,  the  men  sent  to 
quarters,  and  all  made  snug  for  a  desperate  fight. 

It  is  an  exhilarating  thing  to  sail  across  a  bounding  sea 
toward  an  enemy  of  whom  you  know  nothing  more  than 
that  he  will  exert  every  effort  to  send  you  to  the  bottom  in 
the  quickest  possible  time,  or  at  least  to  knock  you  to  pieces. 
How  many  guns  he  carries ;  how  heavy  they  are ;  how  well 
they  will  be  served ;  what  fortunes  will  attend, —  all  are  vital 
factors  in  the  day,  but  they  are  matters  which  the  day  alone 
can  develop  to  your  knowledge.  It  is  exhilarating,  and  it  is 
solemn, —  especially  so  with  the  tubs  of  sand  standing  about, 
and  the  cockpit  hatch  wide  open. 

We  could  see  that  the  enemy  at  least  did  not  greatly 
outweigh  us;  that  she  was  not  a  ship-of-the-line.  I  am  not 
certain  that  there  were  not  some  aboard  who  would  have 
been  glad  if  she  had  been.  While  yet  at  a  great  distance,  but 
coming  toward  us,  the  enemy  opened  with  three  guns.  I 
saw  the  balls  strike  the  water,  ricochet  three  or  four  times, 
and  disappear,  the  distance  being  too  great. 

She  had  little  more  than  fired  the  first  shot  when  she 
wore  ship,  bringing  the  starboard  batteries  into  bearing 
and  came  closer.  We  had  been  through  some  evolutions 
in  the  hope  of  an  opportunity  to  get  the  weather  gauge  of 
her,  but,  though  our  men  handled  the  ship  in  a  way  that 
made  a  lump  of  pride  come  into  my  throat,  we  could  get 
no  advantage  over  the  enemy,  a  remarkably  fleet  sailor. 


450  VALOR    &   VICTORY 

Now  she  was  running  on  a  course  almost  parallel  with 
ours,  in  good  range  of  our  long  twenty-fours  on  the  main 
deck.  We  opened  on  her,  firing  on  the  down  roll,  and  aim 
ing  to  hull  her.  The  men  worked  the  guns  with  a  swiftness 
that  could  not  have  been  believed.  The  ship  trembled  and 

quivered  from  truck  to  keelson  un 

der  the  continuous  recoil  of  many 

guns  ;  the  sides  of  the  boat  were 

never  free  from  the  leaping 

blast  of  our  batteries,  some 

times   a  dozen  firing    at 

once.     The  smoke,  whir- 

'_£•  :  j,   lyfe       "m  ling  across    the   waves, 

rose  in  a  dense  cloud  be 
tween  the  combatants, 
obscuring   the   target. 
I  was  in  the  first 
division.      One  of  the 
gunners,     aiming     a 
long  twenty-four,  was 
struck  in  the  face  with 
a      splinter,      which 
blinded    him  for  the 
moment.      Observing 
it,    I    stepped    to  his 

THE  FRIGATE  •«  UNITED  STATES  ••  Through    the 


port  I  could  see  the  enemy,  swinging  on  the  waves,  belching 
fire  upon  us,  alive  to  the  tips  of  her  spars,  and  fighting- 
like  a  cat.  We  rose  on  a  billow.  As  we  poised  at  the  top 
of  it,  I  lifted  the  gun  to  aim  at  the  top  of  the  mizzen-mast, 
thinking  that  the  roll  of  the  ship  would  bring  the  ball 
downward,  and  fired.  Watching  for  an  effect  to  my  shot. 
I  beheld  the  mizzentopmast  shiver,  tremble  for  a  moment. 
and  then  plunge  down  upon  the  maintop,  where  it  rested, 


UNDER    THE    ENEMY'S    FLAG 


suspended  between  the  two  masts,  and  jamming  the  main 
braces  so  that  the  ship  could  not  be  worked. 

The  smoke  at  this  time  growing  so  dense  that  we  could  not 
aim  with  much  success,  Captain  Decatur  ceased  firing  for  a 
space  and  drew  ahead.  In  the  respite  I  looked  about- 


A  PICTURESQUE  STREET  IN  OLD  VALPARAISO 

ship  to  see  what  damage  had  been  done.  Seeing  some 
sailors  looking  aloft,  I  followed  their  gaze,  and  observed 
that  our  mizzentopgallant  mast  was  shot  away.  I  could 
discover  no  other  damage. 

The  enemy  had  not  perceived  our  manceuver  until  we 
drew  out  of  the  smoke  pall  ahead  and  opened  a  diagonal 
fire  that  was  little  less  than  murderous.  Finding  that  we 
were  too  much  for  him  at  long  range,  he  endeavored  at  this 
point  to  come  closer,  but  a  shot  from  us  carrying  away  his 
fore-brace  rendered  the  sail  unmanageable  so  that  it  backed 
away  on  him,  giving  us  an  opportunity  to  rake, 

Backing  our  mainyards,  we  lay  waiting  for  him,  raking 
him  with  deadly  broadsides  all  the  while.  Presently  the 


452  VALOR   &  VICTORY 

Englishman  luffed  up,  bringing  his  broadside  into  bearing. 
As  he  luffed,  we  followed,  keeping  him  at  gun's  length, 
slowly  and  certainly  knocking  him  to  pieces.  The  fore- 
topmast  was  cut  away  at  the  top;  the  main  followed;  the 
lower  masts  were  splintered;  only  the  foresail,  badly  torn, 
was  left  in  service. 

The  enemy  was  firing  feebly  now,  with  one  or  two  guns. 
As  I  looked,  exulting  in  the  work  we  had  done,  there 
was  a  shout  at  my  elbow,  and  in  the  same  instant  I  was 
dimly  conscious  of  being  hurtled  across  the  deck  by  a  heavy 
blow  in  my  side.  That  is  the  last  I  remember  of  the  fight. 
When  I  recovered  my  senses,  I  came  back  into  a  world  of 
frightful  agony.  There  was  a  great  gaping  gash  in  the 
flesh  of  my  chest,  where  I  had  been  struck  by  a  huge  splinter. 
Three  of  my  ribs  were  broken  by  the  force  of  the  blow.  My 
life  was  despaired  of;  but  my  vigorous  constitution  and  the 
especial  care  bestowed  upon  me  by  the  ship's  surgeon,  with 
whom  I  had  come  to  be  close  friends,  prevailed  over  the 
hurt,  and  by  the  time  our  homeward  journey  was  done  I 
was  well,  though  by  no  means  strong. 

The  remainder  of  the  fight  I  tell  from  hearsay.  Not 
long  after  the  shot  that  had  caused  my  wound,  the  enemy 
ceased  firing,  and  we  drew  off  to  make  repairs  to  the  rigging. 
When  we  presently  returned,  ready  to  renew  the  action,  she 
struck,  and  we  sent  aboard  to  take  possession.  It  was  the 
Macedonian,  thirty-eight  guns,  one  of  the  crack  frigates  of 
the  British  navy,  that  we  had  overwhelmed,  carrying  a  crew 
renowned  for  discipline  and  efficiency,  commanded  by 
Captain  Garden.  We  had  hulled  her  a  hundred  times,  and 
only  two  guns  remained  on  her  engaged  side.  Thirty-six 
of  her  crew  had  been  killed  and  thrown  into  the  water; 
sixty-eight  lay  moaning  in  the  cockpit  and  the  steerage,  the 
cockpit  having  proved  too  cramped  to  accommodate  all  we 
had  sent  below. 


UNDER  THE  ENEMY'S  FLAG     453 

They  found  some  poor  Americans  aboard  her,  who  had 
been  forced  to  fight  against  their  flag.  Two  of  them,  Jack 
Card  and  John  Wallis,  were  killed  in  the  action. 

For  two  weeks  we  lay  by,  reaving  new  rigging,  stepping 
new  masts,  sending  up  new  spars,  bending  new  sails,  plug 
ging  shot-holes  in  her  hull,  and  making  her  ready  for  the 
voyage  home.  At  last  we  set  sail  with  her,  convoying  her 
to  Newport,  here  we  left  her  and  went  to  New  London. 
I  would  have  left  the  United  States  at  Newport  and  pro 
ceeded  at  once  to  Washington,  but  that  the  state  of  my 
health,  due  to  the  slow  recovery  from  my  wound,  made  it 
unwise;  so  I  merely  sent  a  note  to  Ruth  in  the  packet  of 
mail  that  was  forwarded  from  the  ship,  telling  her  what 
fortune  I  had  had,  and  that  I  would  soon  see  her. 


CHAPTER    II 


THE  ENEMY   IS   OURS 

I  HAD  no  more  than  reached  Newport,  however,  and  was 
still  weak  and  ill,  when  orders  came  to  me  to  join  Com 
modore  Chauncey's  fleet  in  Lake  Ontario.     My  orders  were 
exceedingly  flattering,  assuring  me  that  I  had  been  selected 

for  the  task  assigned  me 
because  of  my  well-known 
fitness  for  the  work. 

I  was  not  all  pleased 
by  this.  My  desire  to  see 
my  sweetheart  again  was 
growing  into  a  keen  anxiety, 
for  I  had  not  had  the  least 
reply  to  any  of  my  many 
communications,  although 
others  of  the  crew  and  mess 
were  in  receipt  of  mail  at 
New  London.  I  could  not 
understand  how  it  came  to 
pass  that  I  should  be  without  word  from  her,  unless  it  was 
that  she  had  forgotten  me,  or  grown  into  another  mind  con 
cerning  me. 

It  was  a  miserable  fall  and  winter  that  I  put  in  on  Lake 
Ontario.  By  the  time  I  arrived  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  which 
was  the  rendezvous  for  the  fleet,  ice  was  forming  on  the  lake, 
and  navigation  was  closed.  We  spent  the  winter  in  building 
the  twenty-four-gun  ship  Madison,  and  in  waiting  to  repulse 
the  British,  should  they  attempt  to  cross  the  ice  and  attack 
us  from  Kingston,  across  the  foot  of  the  lake. 

454 


THE  STATUE  TO  PERRY  AT  NEWPORT, 
RHODE  ISLAND 


THE    ENEMY    IS    OURS 


455 


In  March  Master- Commandant  Oliver  Hazard  Perry 
arrived  in  Sackett's  Harbor,  on  the  way  to  Lake  Eric  with 
orders  to  wrest  control  of  that  body  of  water  from  the  enemy. 
When  he  went  to  the  new  station  I  accompanied  him,  under 
orders  that  he  had  brought  from  Washington;  but,  while 
he  brought  orders,  he  had  no  word  or  message  for  me. 

The  fleet  that  we  left  in  the  making  did  little  on  Lake 
Ontario    besides    burning 
York,  for  which  the  enemy 
subsequently  retaliated  by 
burning  our  own  capital. 
However,  the  presence  there 
of  a  force  of  vessels  stronger 
than  the  British  could  sum 
mon  was  sufficient  to  insure 
American  control  of  the  lake. 

The  task  on  Lake  Erie 
was  more  serious.  By 
possession  the  English 
hoped  to  be  able  to  subdue 
the  Mississippi  and  Ohio 
Valleys,  and  hedge  in  the 
United  States  with  British  colonies  to  the  west  of  them.  It 
was  defended  by  a  British  squadron  of  six  vessels,  fully 
armed  and  manned. 

Proceeding  to  Presque  .Isle,  now  called  Erie,  over  the 
ice  on  a  sledge,  Master-Commandant  Perry  set  to  work 
constructing  ships  for  the  defense  of  the  lake,  and  by  July 
the  brigs  Lawrence  and  Niagara  were  launched;  they  were 
soon  equipped  with  guns.  In  the  building  of  these  vessels 
we  frequently  cut  down  a  tree  in  the  morning  and  had  it  in 
the  frame  before  night  —  not  a  very  good  plan  in  building  a 
vessel  for  the  water,  but  necessary  in  the  circumstances. 

Our  little  nucleus  of  a  fleet  was  added  to  during  the 


WINTER  ON  THE  MALL  AT  NEWPORT,  RHODE 
ISLAND,  SHOWING  MANSION  AND 
STATUE  OF  PERRY 


456 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


summer  by  the  arrival  of  some  schooners  and  like  craft  that 
had  been  blockaded  above  Buffalo.  But  now  a  new  diffi 
culty  arose.  The  water  in  the  lake  had  been  falling,  and 
when  the  vessels  were  ready  for  sea  there  was  not  enough 

on  the  bar  to 
float  them. 
At  the  same 
time,  the 
British 
squ  adron, 
under  Com 
mander  Bar- 
c  1  a  y,  was 
blockading 
us.  Crossing 
the  lake  to 
the  Canadian 
side  one  day 
to  accept  an 
invitation  to 
dinner,  Bar 
clay  gave 
Perry  the 
chance  he  was 

OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY     (From  the  portrait  by  J.  W.  Jarvis)     waiting      for. 

Before  the  next  morning  we  were  on  the  lake,  having 
floated  the  brigs  over  the  bar  in  the  interval. 

We  now  set  out  to  meet  the  enemy,  who  were  at  Camden, 
on  the  Canadian  side.  After  Barclay's  refusal  to  come  out, 
Commandant  Perry  was  intending  to  run  to  Camden  and 
attack  him  at  anchor,  but  before  the  plans  could  be  carried 
out  Barclay  was  obliged  to  put  to  sea  in  order  to  open  com 
munications  with  Long  Point,  the  British  base  of  supplies. 
On  the  morning  of  September  10  we  descried  his  squadron 


THE    ENEMY    IS    OURS  457 

sailing  south,  with  the  wind  nearly  in  the  southeast.     With 
out  the  least  hesitation,  Perry  sailed  to  meet  them. 

Our  squadron  at  the  time  consisted  of  nine  vessels 
in  all,  mounting  fifty  guns,  with  1536  pounds  of  metal. 
The  vessels  were  manned  by  490  men,  only  125  of  whom 
were  from  the  regular  navy.  A  fourth  of  the  complement 


THE  SECOND  VIEW  OF  PERRY'S  VICTORY  ON  LAKE  ERIE 

were  negroes;  another  fourth  raw  recruits.  Perry  himself 
had  never  been  in  an  engagement. 

Against  him  were  opposed  six  vessels,  mounting  sixty- 
three  guns,  throwing  852  pounds  of  metal.  Commandant 
Barclay,  in  command,  was  a  veteran  who  had  fought 
with  Nelson.  The  English  crews  consisted  of  502  men 
and  boys. 

Never  shall  I  ever  forget  the  behavior  of  Oliver  Perry 
on  that  tremendous  day.  Young,  handsome,  full  of  zest, 
he  walked  among  the  men,  encouraging  them  with  stout 
words,  filling  them  all  with  the  fire  that  burned  within  his 
soul.  Mounting  a  gun-train  with  a  blue  banner  on  his 
arm,  he  unfolded  it  to  show  us  what  it  said:  " Don't  give 
up  the  ship!"  in  white  letters,  a  foot  high.  "Boys,"  he 
said,  "shall  I  raise  this  banner?" 

"Ay!  Ay!"  we  cried,  with  a  shout;    and  the  flag  flew 


458  VALOR    &   VICTORY 

from  the  masthead.  The  view  of  it  was  greeted  with  wild 
cheers  down  the  entire  line  of  the  squadron. 

The  Lawrence,  being  near  the  head,  engaged  first  with 
the  Detroit.  We  had  little  more  than  engaged,  at  long  range 
where  the  enemy  had  a  heavy  advantage  over  us  because  of 
heavier  guns,  when  the  wind  slackened,  which  not  only 
made  it  impossible  for  us  to  draw  closer,  but  also  prevented 
the  rest  of  the  fleet  from  coming  up.  The  Caledonia,  im 
mediately  behind  us,  being  a  dull  sailor,  had  fallen  away, 
bearing  the  rest  of  the  line  back,  and  leaving  the  Lawrence 
to  fight  the  entire  British  squadron,  assisted  only  by  the 
Ariel  and  the  Scorpion. 

I  shall  not  describe  the  horrid  scenes  that  followed,  the 
deaths,  the  mutilations.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  we  were 
reduced  from  a  crew  of  103  fit  for  service  at  the  beginning,  to 
a  crew  of  twenty;  that  not  an  officer  remained  unhurt,  save 
only  Perry;  that  on  our  engaged  side  there  was  only  one  gun 
that  could  be  fired.  Still  the  indomitable  man  who  com 
manded  exhorted  us  to  stay  by  the  ship  and  never  give  in, 
himself  training  and  firing  the  gun  that  was  left  to  us.  For 
my  part,  I  was  too  weak  and  dazed  from  the  effects  of  a  shot 
that  had  grazed  my  head  to  raise  a  hand  in  further  defense 
of  the  ship;  though  I  concealed  my  case  from  the  men  of 
the  crew. 

At  this  crisis  Master-Commandant  Elliott  of  the  Nia 
gara,  perceiving  the  distress  of  the  Lawrence,  ignored  the 
order  to  keep  the  line,  which  had  not  been  countermanded, 
passed  the  Caledonia,  signaling  those  behind  her  to  do  the 
same,  and  came  on  to  the  assistance  of  the  flag-ship.  Perry 
at  the  same  time,  realizing  that  he  could  do  nothing  in  de 
fense  or  offense  in  the  Lawrence,  leapt  into  a  gig  and  started 
for  the  Niagara,  wrapping  his  banner  and  the  blue  motto 
about  him  as  he  went. 

We  on  the  Lawrence,  watching  him,  saw  a  shot  strike 


THE    ENEMY   IS    OURS  461 

the  small  boat ;  saw  him  strip  off  his  coat  and  stuff  it  in  the 
hole;  saw  him  gain  the  side  of  the  Niagara  and  clamber 
aboard.  In  a  moment  his  banner  flew  from  the  masthead; 
and  then  we  struck.  We  took  no  more  part  in  the  fight  it 
self,  though  we  took  a  glorious  part  in  the  end  of  it. 

Perry  had  no  sooner  gained  the  Niagara  than  a  wind 
sprang  up,  and  he  ordered  a  charge.  At  the  moment  of 
charging,  the  British  line  had  become 
badly  entangled  through  an  attempt 
to  tack  ship  and  bring  their  unen 
gaged  batteries  into  bearing.  At 
the  height  of  their  confusion, 
we  were  upon  them.  The 
blow,  coming  from  an  enemy 
whom  they  believed  defeated, 
was  more  than  they  could 
stand.  In  a  short  time  the 
entire  British  squadron  was 
demoralized,  and  indicated  a 
willingness  to  surrender. 

And  now  came  the  moment  of 
triumph  for  the  battered  wreck  that 
had    been    the    flag-ship.      Perry, 
learning     that    the    British    com 
manders  Were   ready  to    surrender,        ISAAC  CHAUNCEY     (From  the 
.     .  ,        .  .  .  ,  .  portrait  by  J.  Wood) 

informed    them    he  would  receive 

their  surrender  on  board  the  Lawrence,  now  far  down  the 
line,  with  American  colors  flying,  we  having  broken  them 
out  again,  on  the  stump  of  a  mast.  Thither  he  rowed. 
I  cannot  describe  the  scene  that  took  place  when  he 
reached  us,  and  mounted  our  deck,  slippery  with  blood, 
strewn  with  fragments  of  mutilated  human  flesh,  reeking 
with  death.  There  was  no  cry,  no  shout ;  the  moment  was 
too  intense.  Nor  shall  I  forget  the  faces  of  the  British  offi- 


462 


VALOR    &   VICTORY 


cers  when  they  came  aboard  to  surrender  —  their  horror, 
their  marveling  admiration  of  men  who  would  fight  until 
they  lay  in  pieces  about  a  splintered  deck. 

I  passed  from  that  scene  into  a  fever,  a  sort  of  lake  fever 
from  which  many  of  the  men  had  suffered,  induced  in  me, 
I  presume,  by  wounds  and  by  my  weakened  condition,  I 
not  yet  having  fully  gained  my  strength  after  the  hurts  in 
the  Macedonian  fight.  When  I  say  I  passed  from  this 


SACKEIT'S  HARBOR,  NEW  YORK 

scene  into  the  fever  I  speak  accurately.  I  was  seized,  even 
as  I  watched  the  surrender  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
Lawrence.  For  a  fortnight  I  lay  delirious.  When  I  was 
sane  again,  I  was  limp  as  a  sail  in  a  calm,  and  so  remained 
for  a  month,  during  which  time  I  tried  again  to  obtain  word 
from  Ruth  Gardner,  but  without  result.  I  wrote  to  her  a 
formal  and  dignified  letter,  asking  the  favor  of  an  explana 
tion  of  her  long  silence,  telling  her  that  I  had  long  since 
assumed  that  she  had  -come  to  a  change  of  heart  concerning 
me,  for  which  I  did  not  wish  to  chide  her,  and  which  I  did 
not  intend  to  question.  I  merely  wanted  to  learn  from  her 
the  truth,  for  in  my  present  uncertainty  my  existence  lay, 
as  it  were,  on  a  thorn. 

I  was  determined,  after  her  continued  silence,  not  to 


THE    ENEMY    IS    OURS  463 

make  any  further  advances,  but  to  consider  her  as  gone  out 
of  life.  Therefore  it  was  without  regret,  although  with 
considerable  surprise,  that  I  received  an  order  to  report  on 
board  the  Constitution,  then  in  Boston,  but  shortly  to  sail  on 
a  cruise.  If  my  wonder  was  aroused  by  this  repeated  expe 
rience  in  being  ordered  from  one  remote  duty  to  another, 
my  preoccupation  over  Ruth's  dereliction  was  enough  to 
prevent  my  considering  the  strangeness  of  it,  and  to  make 
me  acquiesce  in  the  orders  without  question. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE   END    OF   MY   QUEST 

THE  Constitution,  long  blockaded  in  Boston,  eluded  the 
British  ships  on  New  Year's  Day,  1814,  and  got  to 
sea,  under  command  of  Captain  Charles  Stewart.  We 
cruised  southward,  and  eastward,  returning  in  April  without 
having  had  much  adventure  beyond  the  capture  of  small 
prizes.  All  that  year,  until  December  17,  we  lay  idle  in 
Boston,  unable  to  escape  through  the  British  lines.  Our 

navy  this  year 
was  well  scat 
tered  and  of 
little  service. 
Besides  our 
own  ship 
blockaded  at 
Boston,  the 
President  and 
the  United 
States  were  tied 
up  in  New 
Yo  r  k  ;  the 
Congress  dis 
mantled  at 
Portsmouth; 
the  Adams 
destroyed  on 
the  coast  of 
Maine,  where 
she  was  chased 

CAPTAIN  DAVID  PORTER     (From  the  painting  by  Chappell) 

464 


THE   END   OF   MY   QUEST 


465 


by  a  British  squadron;  the  Chesapeake  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy;  the  Macedonian  in  Newport;  and  scarcely  a  port 
on  the  coast  that  did  not  contain  some  schooner  or  sloop- 
of-war  held  there  by  the  presence  of  a  British  blockading 
squadron. 

In  this  year  two  of  our  ships  at  sea  were   successful, 
although  each  came  to  a  tragic  end.     The  Wasp,  one  of  a 


THE  OLD  "CONSTELLATION 


AT  THE  TRAINING  STATION  IN  NEWPORT,  RHODE 
ISLAND 


half-dozen  new  sloops  authorized  by  Congress,  sailing  from 
Portsmouth  on  May  i,  proceeded  directly  to  the  English 
Channel.  Cruising  thereabouts,  she  captured  or  destroyed 
fifteen  vessels,  including  the  war  vessels  Reindeer,  Avon,  and 
Atlanta.  The  Atlanta,  coming  to  Savannah  as  a  prize, 
brought  the  last  direct  word  ever  heard  from  the  Wasp, 
although  the  log  of  a  Swedish  bark  afterward  spoke  of 
having  met  her  at  sea. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  Captain  David  Porter,  in  the 


466 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


frigate  Essex,  brought  fame  and  glory  to  himself,  his  flag, 
and  his  ship.  Cruising  down  the  Atlantic  coast  of  South 
America,  he  doubled  the  Horn  and  invaded  the  Pacific, 
where  he  carried  destruction  and  consternation  into  British 
shipping,  sweeping  the  sea  like  Drake  of  old.  At  last  he 
was  cooped  up  in  Valparaiso  harbor  by  the  British  frigates 
Phcebe  and  Cherub.  Learning  that  a  still  stronger  force  of 


THE  ''ESSEX"  AND  HER  PRIZES  SAILING  OUT  OF  THE  BAY  OF  TUMBEZ     (From 
the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff) 

the  enemy  was  coming  after  him,  he  made  an  attempt  to 
slip  out  of  the  harbor,  which  came  to  nothing  through  the 
loss  of  his  maintopmast.  Driven  into  a  helpless  position 
because  of  this  loss  to  his  rigging,  Porter  was  attacked  by 
the  two  British  ships,  which  were  able  to  keep  a  distance 
and  take  a  raking  position.  In  the  end  the  Essex  was 
obliged  to  strike,  but  not  before  she  had  made  a  fight  that 
was  a  fitting  end  to  a  glorious  career. 

All  this  time  Captain  Stewart  was  eager  for  a  chance 
to  get  away  from  the  British  frigates  that  blockaded  Boston. 
The  opportunity  came  at  last  on  December  17,  when  we 
got  to  sea,  eluding  the  enemy,  and  made  sail  for  the  Ber 
mudas,  where  we  took  a  ship-of-war,  the  name  of  which  I 
have  forgotten,  and  whence  we  sailed  presently  for  Madeira. 


THE  END   OF  MY  QUEST 


467 


News  of  our  escape  from  Boston  had  spread  over  the 
seas  with  great  swiftness,  ships  speaking  one  another  and 
telling  them  of  it,  so  that  by  the  time  we  were  off  Madeira 
most  of  the  vessels  in  the  British  navy  knew  we  were  at 
large,  and  they  were  looking  for  us. 

We  were  standing  on  the  quarter-deck,  making  a  group 
of  officers,  on  February  19,  1815,  complaining  that  we  had 


THE   "ESSEX"   AND   HER   PRIZES   AT  NOOKAHEEVAH,  WASHINGTON   ISLANDS 
(From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Hoff) 

seen  no  enemy,  and  impatient  for  better  luck.  At  that 
time  we  were  making  a  course  south  from  Spain,  about  100 
miles  from  Madeira.  In  the  midst  of  our  complaining 
Captain  Stewart  approached  us.  "Be  of  good  cheer, 
gentlemen,"  he  said,  "for  I  assure  you  that  before  the  sun 
rises  again  and  sets,  you  will  be  engaged  in  a  battle  with 
the  enemy,  and  it  will  not  be  with  a  single  ship."  We 
pressed  him  for  his  reasons,  but  he  only  replied  that  he  had 
had  a  presentiment,  in  which  he  was  a  believer. 

The  following  day  came  on  thick  and  heavy,  with  a  wet 
wind  from  the  northeast,  and  a  grey  chop  of  a  sea,  a  day 
altogether  nasty,  and  the  kind  that  breeds  sea-lawyers 
aboard  ship.  We  were  bowling  along  under  easy  canvas, 
the  crew  snug  below  and  the  mess-boys  busy  with  their 


468 


VALOR    &    VICTORY 


messes,  when,  about  i  o'clock,  the  lookout  on  the  forctop- 
sail-yard  sang  out  to  the  deck  that  there  was  a  large  sail  two 
points  off  the  port  bow. 

At  this  news  the  men  came  tumbling  up  from  below  and 
ran  into  the  rigging  to  see  the  stranger,  hoping  it  might  be 
an  enemy  that  would  give  them  fight.  Three-quarters  of  an 


THE  "  ESSEX"    OFFERING    BATTLE   TO    THE    "PHCEBE"    IN   THE   HARBOR   OF 
VALPARAISO     (From  the  drawing  by  Captain  Ho'ff] 

hour  later  the  lookout  sang  out  another  sail,  as  keeping  com 
pany  with  the  first.  The  weather  was  too  thick  to  enable  us 
to  observe  their  strength,  but  each  was  clearly  a  war  vessel. 

Continuing  to  dog  them,  we  drew  closer  and  closer  to  the 
vessel  first  sighted,  which,  at  about  4  o'clock,  made  signals 
to  her  companion  and  stood  down  toward  her,  joining  her 
in  line  of  battle. 

In  half  an  hour  we  were  nearly  within  range  of  the  hinder- 
most,  and  were  preparing  to  open,  when  our  mainroyal- 
mast  gave  way  in  the  chocks,  and  became  wreckage.  In 
half  an  hour  we  had  sent  up  and  rigged  home  another  —  a 
piece  of  work  I  never  saw  equaled  on  any  ship.  All  snug 
again,  we  set  out  once  more  in  chase,  and  came  up  with  them 
about  6  o'clock. 


THE   END   OF   MY   QUEST 


469 


By  this  time,  it  being  in  the  month  of  February,  the 
sun  was  well  down;  but  we  were  saved  from  darkness  by  a 
moon  which  now  shone  through  the  broken  clouds.  Five 
minutes  later  we  opened,  concentrating  our  fire  on  the  stern- 
most  of  the  two.  Both  vessels  promptly  responded  and 
for  fifteen  minutes  there  was  a  roar  of  cannon  that  shook 
my  ears,  used  as  I  was  to  the  din.  At  the  end  of  that  time 


THE  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  "  ESSEX"  AND  THE  "PHCEBE"  AND  "CHERUB" 
(From  the  drawing  by  Captain  If  off) 

the  smoke  between  us  and  our  enemy  was  so  dense  that 
aiming  was  bad.  Putting  on  sail  at  this,  Captain  Stewart 
drew  ahead,  unperceived  by  the  enemy,  and  came  abreast 
of  the  forward  vessel,  into  which  we  poured  such  a  broad 
side  as  shook  her  in  the  water. 

Hereupon,  the  sternmost  vessel  luffed  up,  preparing  to 
cross  our  wake  and  rake  us.  It  was  a  critical  moment;  I 
confess  that  I  drew  a  sharp  breath  when  I  saw  the  man- 
ceuver.  But  I  might  have  spared  myself  the  anxiety.  As 
I  watched  the  sternmost  enemy  creeping  gradually  toward 
a  raking  position,  an  order  went  along  the  decks.  The 
main  and  mizzen  were  set  aback  in  the  space  of  a  breath; 
all  forward  was  shaken  loose;  the  Constitution  paused, 
poised  for  a  moment,  and  then  slid  backward,  gently, 


470 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


silently,  till  she  came  abreast  of  the  vessel  that  was  endeavor 
ing  to  rake  us.     Never  have  I  beheld  so  brave  a  manceuver! 
By  the  time  we  were  abreast,  our  guns  were  double 
shotted,  and  we  let  them  have  the  full  force  of  our  broad 
sides  at  short  range.     For  some  minutes  we  bore  heavily  on 
this  vessel,  when,  our  commander,  perceiving  that  the  fore 
most  ship  was  wearing  to  cross  our  course,  wore  sharply, 
crossed  his  wake,  and  fired  two  deadly  broad 
side  into  him. 

The  other  vessel  had  taken  advantage  of 
this  to  wear  ship  in  a  second  effort  to  rake 
us;  but   Captain   Stewart   was  again  too 
quick  for  them,  wearing  short  and  getting 
the  advantage  of  them  at  close  range.     By 
this  time  the  vessel  we  had  just  raked  was 
well  off,  looking  after  her  injuries,  so  that 
we  were  left  to  handle  the  single  opponent 
unmolested.     We  fell  abreast,  and  continued 
the   fight   for  ten    minutes,  when  the   enemy 

CAPTAIN  CHARLES  11-  i  i  i     i        T,  ,  -\ 

STEWART         struck,  being  murderously  mauled.     It  was  the 
thirty-two-gun  frigate  Cyanc,  Captain  Gordon  Falcon. 

Stopping  only  long  enough  to  take  and  secure  the  pris 
oners  and  put  a  prize  crew  aboard,  we  set  out  for  the  other 
ship,  which,  having  made  repairs  to  her  rigging,  was  bearing 
down  upon  us,  unconscious  of  the  fate  of  her  consort. 
Coming  together,  we  exchanged  broadsides,  on  the  heels 
of  which  Captain  Stewart  wore  short  around  and  raked. 
This  was  too  much  for  the  enemy,  who  tried  to  make  away  ; 
but  we  overhauled  her  at  last,  and  at  10  o'clock  that  night 
she  surrendered.  This  vessel  was  the  sloop-of-war  Levant, 
twenty-one  guns,  Captain  George  Douglas.  And  so  it  was, 
under  the  light  of  a  winter  moon,  we  took  two  frigates  of  the 
enemy,  handling  them  both  with  ease  and  certainty,  and 
losing  only  four  men  killed  and  ten  wounded.  By  i  o'clock 


THE   END   OF   MY   QUEST  471 

that  night  the  Constitution  was  ready  for  another  affair  of 
the  same  proportions;  and  on  the  following  day  we  set  off 
with  our  prizes,  reaching  Port  Pray  a  on  March  10.  Here 
we  found  the  Susan,  which  Captain  Stewart  determined 
to  use  as  a  cartel  for  the  transfer  of  prisoners. 
While  we  were  making  the  transfer  to  the 
Susan,  a  quartermaster  gave  the  alarm  of 
a  strange  sail. 

Looking  toward  the  harbor 
mouth,  we  saw  first  one,  and 
then  three  large  sails  bearing 
down    toward    the     port, 
now  just   visible  through 
the  fog  and  mist  that  lay 
low  upon  the  sea.      Cap 
tain  Stewart,    having  no 
faith    in    the    respect    of 
British    captains   for   the 
shelter   of    neutral    ports, 
at  once  gave  the  order  to 
get  under  way,  signaling  the 
prizes  at  the  same   time.      In 
seven  minutes  sails  were  set,  the 

Cables   CUt,   and   We   Were   mak-  ADMIRAL  SIR  GEORGE  COLLIER 

ing  for  the  harbor  entrance,  in  the  hope  of  getting  through 
and  away  before  the  enemy  should  come  too  close. 

We  were  fairly  through  the  harbor  mouth  when  dis 
covered,  and  the  three  ships,  which  proved  to  be  heavy 
frigates,  set  out  in  chase.  The  Constitution  held  her  own 
without  difficulty,  but  the  two  prizes,  out-footed  and  out 
pointed  by  the  enemy,  were  fast  falling  astern,  and  in  danger 
of  being  taken,  when  Captain  Stewart  signaled  the  Cyane 
to  tack  to  the  northwest,  hoping  to  divide  the  force  of  the 
enemy,  or  to  get  the  Cyane  free  of  them. 


472  VALOR   &   VICTORY 

To  our  surprise,  the  three  ships  held  on  their  course 
after  us,  paying  no  attention  to  the  Cyane,  which  ran  the 
fleet  out  of  sight  and  got  safe  to  America.  A  short  time 
afterward  Captain  Stewart,  perceiving  that  the  Levant  was 
in  great  danger,  signaled  her  to  tack  to  the  northwest  also. 
To  our  surprise  the  entire  British  squadron  followed  her  in 
the  tack,  and  lay  in  pursuit,  leaving  us  to  get  away. 

How  they  came  to  blunder  so,  when  the  Constitution 
was  the  one  ship  of  our  navy  that  they  desired  above  all 
others  to  take,  is  a  matter  that  has  never  been  satisfactorily 
explained.  The  fleet  that  followed  us  was  the  Leander, 
fifty  guns,  Captain  Sir  George  Collier,  in  command  of  the 
squadron;  the  Newcastle,  fifty;  and  the  Acasta,  forty. 
They  ran  the  Levant  down  in  the  harbor  of  Port  Praya,  and, 
ignoring  the  laws  of  neutral  ports,  compelled  her  to  surrender. 

Now  I  was  once  more  headed  for  America.  I  had  of 
late  fared  well  in  the  war,  having  been  fortunate  enough  to 
attract  the  attention  of  Captain  Stewart,  who  informed  me, 
gratuitously,  that  he  would  nominate  me  for  promotion  as 
soon  as  we  reached  home. 

Encouraged,  I  permitted  myself  to  think  once  more  of 
Ruth,  hoping  that,  if  she  had  forgotten  me  as  a  lad,  she 
might  be  prevailed  upon  to  consider  me  with  favor  as  a  man. 
With  this  hope  new  born  in  my  heart,  I  determined  to  make 
the  journey  to  Washington  as  soon  as  I  reached  land. 

From  this  decision  I  was  turned  by  a  condition  that  I 
discovered  on  our  arrival  at  New  York,  May  15,  1815. 
The  war  was  over  by  this  time;  indeed,  peace  had  been 
made  and  a  treaty  signed  nearly  two  months  before  our 
encounter  with  the  Cyane  and  Levant;  but  a  new  war  had 
sprung  up  with  the  Barbary  States.  The  Dey  of  Algiers, 
encouraged  in  insolence  by  the  British,  had  once  more 
loosed  his  corsairs  against  American  shipping,  declaring 
that  the  United  States  had  been  derelict  in  its  tribute. 


THE   END   OF   MY   QUEST 


473 


When  I  reached  Boston  I  found  Commodore  Stephen 
Decatur  ready  to  sail  for  the  Mediterranean  with  a  fleet 
of  vessels,  to  chastise  the  Dey.  At  once  the  old  quest, 
which  had  nearly  died  out  of  my  life,  smouldering  only  as 
a  sad  and  ancient  memory,  sprang  all  alive.  I  would  make 
this  one  more 
attempt  to 
seek  my 
father.  Ac 
cordingly,  I 
hastened  to 
offer  my  ser 
vices  in  the 
Guerricre, 
flag-ship  of 
the  squadron, 
and  sailed 
away  for  the 
Mediterran 
ean  on  May 

2O,    just    five  DECATUR  AND  THE  DEY  OF  ALGIERS,  JUNE,  1815 

days  after  I   arrived   in  port. 

Our  squadron  consisted  of  the  Guerriere,  forty-four 
guns;  the  Macedonian,  thirty-eight,  Constellation,  thirty- 
six;  the  sloops  Epervier,  eighteen,  and  Ontario,  eighteen; 
the  brigs  Firefly,  twelve,  Flambeau,  twelve,  Spark,  twelve, 
and  the  schooners  Spitfire,  ten,  and  Torch,  ten  guns.  The 
Firefly  put  back  when  we  were  a  few  days  out,  having  sprung 
a  leak  in  a  storm  into  which  we  ran.  Opposed  to  us  was 
the  Algerian  navy  of  five  frigates,  six  sloops,  and  one  schooner. 
At  their  head  was  Rais  Hammida,  a  redoubtable  fighter. 

Desirous  of  finding  the  Algerian  squadron  before  they 
had  word  of  our  coming,  Decatur  approached  Cadiz  and 
sent  in  a  boat  to  ask  for  information.  It  was  learned  that 


474  VALOR    &   VICTORY 

a  squadron  had  lately  been  cruising  in  the  Atlantic,  but 
that  it  had  probably  gone  in  through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar. 
Proceeding  thence  to  Tangiers,  we  learned  that  the  Ma- 
shouda  and  two  or  three  smaller  vessels  had  passed  through. 

Observing  dispatch  boats  setting  out,  while  we  stayed 
there,  in  the  direction  that  the  Mashouda  had  taken,  as  well 
as  toward  Algiers,  Decatur  made  sail  at  once  after  the 
squadron.  On  June  16  the  Macedonian  and  the  brigs  left 
us,  in  chase  of  some  strange  sail.  On  the  following  day, 
when  some  twenty  miles  off  Cape  Gata,  the  Constellation, 
which  was  ahead,  reported  a  frigate  carrying  the  flag  of  the 
grand  admiral. 

Signaling  the  Constellation  to  take  a  position  abeam  of 
the  flag-ship,  and  warning  the  other  vessels  to  take  every 
precaution  against  arousing  the  suspicion  of  the  stranger, 
we  leisurely  approached,  hoping  we  might  be  mistaken  for 
an  English  squadron,  and  so  draw  close  to  her  without  being 
discovered.  Coming  closer,  we  observed  that  the  frigate, 
which  was  a  large  vessel,  was  lying  to  under  topsail,  with  her 
maintopsail  aback,  apparently  waiting  word  from  shore. 

In  the  moment  of  our  elation  at  the  prospect  of  getting 
up  with  her  unsuspected,  the  Constellation,  through  some 
mistake  of  her  quartermaster,  showed  American  colors. 
Although  every  other  vessel  in  the  squadron  promptly  put 
out  the  British  ensign,  the  Moor,  for  such  it  was,  took  alarm, 
and  made  sail  with  a  swiftness  that  deserves  commendation. 
We  were  not  far  behind  her  in  making  sail,  however,  and  in 
an  incredibly  short  time  were  all  after  her,  under  mountains 
of  white  canvas,  with  the  waves  whizzing  astern  of  us. 

The  Constellation,  having  somewhat  the  weather  of  the 
chase,  drew  within  long  range  and  dropped  some  balls  on 
her  deck,  which  sent  her  about  on  the  other  tack,  toward 
Carthagena.  This  gave  the  Guerriere  her  chance.  It  was 
not  long  before  we  were  ranging  alongside,  and  bearing  in 


THE   END   OF   MY   QUEST  477 

to  close.  We  kept  on  through  the  fire  they  opened  on  us, 
making  no  response,  until  our  yardarms  barely  cleared, 
when  we  let  go  a  broadside  that  made  the  Mussulman  stagger 
through  the  water.  The  effect  of  our  fire  was  stupendous. 
Before  the  smoke  cleared  the  ports,  we  repeated  it. 

From  the  stricken  decks  of  the  Moor  there  was  no  an 
swer  except  the  wild  cries  of  the  hurt  and  dying.  A  few 
men  in  the  tops  who  were  continuing  to  fire  with  muskets 
were  picked  off  by  our  marines,  and  the  enemy  lay  silent. 
Not  wishing  to  cause  unnecessary  death,  Decatur  drew  off 
out  of  range  on  the  starboard  bow,  waiting. 

The  Moor,  taking  advantage  of  our  withdrawal,  at 
tempted  to  get  away  by  tacking.  This  manceuver  brought 
her  directly  toward  the  Epervier,  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
John  Downes.  It  seemed  to  us  that  there  was  imminent 
danger  of  collision;  but  Downes,  by  backing  and  filling 
with  consummate  seamanship,  not  only  avoided  being  run 
down,  but  maintained  a  position  on  and  off  her  bows  whence 
he  could  rake,  and  poured  in  nine  broadsides. 

After  struggling  against  this  diminutive  antagonist  for 
twenty-five  minutes,  the  frigate  struck,  and  we  went  aboard. 
She  proved  to  be  the  Mashouda,  commanded  by  Rais  Ham- 
mida  himself,  who  had  been  killed  by  a  cannon  shot  on  the 
first  broadside,  the  ball  cutting  him  in  two  as  he  lay  on  a 
couch  under  the  quarter-deck. 

Sending  the  prize  into  Carthagena  by  the  Macedonian, 
which  had  come  up  from  her  chase,  the  squadron  proceeded 
to  Algiers.  I  shall  never  forget  the  sensations  that  crept 
through  me  as  I  gazed  at  the  Barbary  capital.  Somewhere 
within  it,  I  felt,  with  a  faith  that  would  not  die,  was  my 
father;  and  I  felt,  too,  that  the  hour  was  come  when  7vTe 
should  be  together  again. 

The  city  presented  a  formidable  appearance.  For  a 
mile  along  the  water-front  was  a  wall,  bristling  with  batteries. 


478 


VALOR   &  VICTORY 


Massive  walls  ran 
from  the  ends  of 
this  wall  to  meet 
in  an  apex  at  the 
citadel  of  the 
town,  400  feet 
above  the  water. 
More  than  200 
guns  were 
mounted  in  va 
rious  batteries, 
commanding  the 
maritime  ap 
proaches.  So 
strong  was  the 
place  that  Lord 
Nelson  had  esti 
mated  that  a 
fleet  of  twenty- 
five  ships-of-the-line  would  be  required  to  reduce  it. 

Anchoring  before  the  city  on  June  28,  Captain  Decatur 
hoisted  a  white  flag  at  the  fore,  and  the  Swedish  colors  at 
the  main,  as  a  signal  for  the  Swedish  minister  to  come 
aboard,  which  he  presently  did,  accompanied  by  the  Alge 
rian  captain  of  the  port.  The  Algerian  was  inclined  to  be 
insolent  at  first,  but  on  learning  the  fate  that  had  befallen 
the  Mashouda,  and  another  smaller  frigate  we  had  en 
countered  on  the  way,  he  asked,  with  trembling  voice,  what 
terms  would  be  demanded. 

He  was  handed  a  letter  from  the  President  addressed 
to  the  Dey,  in  which  the  only  conditions  of  peace  were  the 
absolute  relinquishment  of  all  claims  to  tribute  in  the 
future,  and  a  guarantee  that  American  commerce  would 
not  be  molested  by  Algerian  corsairs.  Moreover,  Captain 


IN  THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  ALGIERS 


THE    END    OF    MY    QUEST 


479 


Decatur  obstinately  insisted  that  negotiations  be  carried 
on  aboard  the  Guerriere. 

On  the  following  day  the  captain  of  the  port  returned 
with  authority  to  treat  for  the  Dey.  Decatur  laid  before 
him  the  absolute  terms  of  a  treaty,  from  which  he  would  by 
no  means  deviate,  that  all  Americans  in  possession  of  the 
Algerians  be  given  up  without  ransom,  all  their  effects  being 
made  good  in  money.  Christians  escaping  to  American 
vessels  should  not  be  given  up,  the  sum  of  $10,000  should 
be  returned  to  the  owners  of  a  brig  that  had  been  taken  by 
the  corsairs  three  years  before,  and  from  this  time  the  rela 
tions  between  the  two  countries  should  be  precisely  the 
same  as  those  between  civilized  nations. 

The  Algerian  captain  demurred,  arguing  that  it  was  not 
the  present  Dey 
who  had  started 
the  war  and  ask 
ing  for  a  truce  un 
til  he  could  place 
the  terms  before 
him  for  consid 
eration.  Decatur 
was  obdurate.  "I 
will  not  give  you 
a  minute's  time, 
if  your  squad 
ron  appears  be 
fore  the  treaty 
is  signed  by  the 
Dey,  and  before 
the  American 
prisoners  are  all 
sent  aboard,  I 
will  capture  it."  A  CouRTYARD  IN  ALGIERS 


480  VALOR    &   VICTORY 

Trembling  and  pale,  the  Moor  hastened  ashore,  assuring 
Decatur  that  he  would  not  delay,  and  telling  him  that  if  his 
boat  were  seen  returning  from  shore  with  a  white  flag  in  the 
bow,  it  would  be  understood  that  the  treaty  was  signed, 
and  that  the  prisoners  were  being  brought  off. 

I  was  standing  near  the  taffrail,  with  my  whole  soul 
watching  the  water-front  for  a  glimpse  of  the  returning  boat 
when  the  cry  went  along  the  deck  of  approaching  sails.  It 
was  an  Algerian  ship-of-war,  approaching  from  the  east. 
The  squadron  was  preparing  to  get  under  way;  I  was  about 
my  duties,  in  a  mechanical  way,  thinking  of  other  things, 
when  another  cry  went  about,  that  the  boat  was  returning 
from  the  shore. 

I  leapt  to  the  rail.  There,  tossing  across  the  waters  of 
the  harbor,  was  the  captain's  boat.  At  its  head  flew  the 
white  flag.  Wearisome  were  the  minutes  that  passed  while 
it  came  nearer;  impatience  tore  at  my  breast.  I  could 
have  screamed;  I  could  have  laughed;  I  could  have  wept. 
I  did  none  of  these  things.  I  only  stood  staring. 

I  looked,  and  saw  one  whom  I  thought  might  be  he; 
one  with  the  white  beard,  the  high  patient  forehead,  the 
dreaming  eyes,  that  I  had  pictured  when  I  thought  of  my 
father;  one  who  might  be  of  the  age  which  he  must  have 
attained  by  this  time.  The  liberated  men  reached  the  deck, 
and  threw  themselves  into  the  arms  of  the  sailors,  weeping 
like  children. 

At  last  there  toiled  up  a  man,  broad  of  shoulder, 
although  years  and  cares  had  curved  them  and  bent  his 
back ;  white  haired,  long  bearded,  whose  face  and  eyes  were 
of  the  Saxon  blood. 

At  sight  of  him  I  could  scarce  restrain  a  cry,  for  my  heart 
told  me  that  it  was  he  whom  I  sought.  He  looked  about 
with  patient  surprise,  as  though  not  wholly  unused  to  being 
an  object  of  curiosity. 


THE    END    OF    MY    QUEST  481 

"You  are  with  friends  at  last,  sir?"  I  asked,  casually, 
taking  my  cue  for  a  beginning  from  the  expression  that  I 
caught  first  in  his  face. 

He  smiled.     " Friends!"  he  repeated.     "I  have  none." 

"And  your  family."     The  word  scarcely  was  audible. 

A  cloud  passed  over  his  face;  for  the  first  time  since  I 
had  spoken  he  withdrew  his  gaze,  to  fix  it  on  distance.  "I 
have  no  family,"  he  said. 

"You  had  once,"  said  I.     "Have  you  not  now?" 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  mummery?"  he  cried 
impatiently,  with  a  strange  change  coming  over  him.  "Do 
you  think  I  killed  my  son,  then?" 

"Do  you  think  that  he  is  dead?"  I  returned. 

The  fire  came  again  into  the  depths  of  his  gaze.  He 
made  no  answer  by  word. 

"You  never  saw  him  dead,"  I  went  on,  gently  as  I  could 
speak.  "When  you  left  him,  he  was  alive."  He  was  lean 
ing  forward  now,  in  turn,  his  lips  parted,  his  eyes  staring. 

"The  sea  is  a  wide  place,"  said  I,  taking  his  hand,  "but 
there  are  many  travelers  upon  it.  It  may  be  that  a  lad  left 
alone  on  a  deserted  ship  might  be  found  by  those  who  go  up 
and  down  the  ocean." 

He  clutched  at  my  hands,  at  my  breast.  "Wait,  wait," 
he  whispered;  and  then,  with  half  a  shriek:  "In  the  name 
of  God,  whose  son  are  you?" 

I  fumbled  in  the  cloths  about  my  neck,  laid  finger  on  a 
golden  chain,  and  drew  forth  a  locket.  "Whose  son  is 
this?"  I  said. 

He  gazed  from  it  to  me,  and  back  to  the  locket  again, 
in  which  was  the  face  of  a  babe  of  two  or  three;  puzzled, 
mystified.  At  last,  with  a  shuddering  sob  that  shook  his 
whole  frame,  he  threw  his  arms  about  my  shoulders,  kissed 
me,  and  laid  his  head  upon  my  neck  like  a  tired  child,  mur 
muring,  between  his  sighs :  "  My  son !  My  son ! " 


CHAPTER   IV 


AN   OLD   HATE,   AND   A   NEW 

MY  father's    moral  fiber  in  the  beginning  must  have 
been  marvelous.     After  all  these  years  of  affliction, 
he  withstood  the  shock  of  our  meeting  perfectly. 

That  he  was  indeed  my  father  there  was  no  remaining 
doubt.  His  name  was  John  Stevens.  He  had  been  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolution.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  married 

my  mother,  an 
Englishwoman 
by  birth  but 
an  American 
through  sym 
pathy,  and  they 
had  lived  near 
Boston,  where 
I  was  born 
in  1783.  My 
mother  dying 
shortly  after 
ward,  he  had 
undertaken  the 
voyage  to 
France,  carry 
ing  me  along. 
When  I  told 
him  of  the  wo 
man  who  had 
cared  for  me  in 
Philadelphia 

A  STREET  IN  TUNIS,  AFRICA 
482 


AN   OLD  HATE,  AND  A  NEW  483 

because  of  a  resemblance  I  bore  to  my  father,  he  was  in 
stantly  aroused.  "Her  name?"  he  demanded.  "Tell  me 
her  name,  my  son!" 

"Sophronia  Osborne,"  I  replied. 

At  that  he  exhibited  more  emotion  almost  than  he  had  in 
the  moment  of  our  meeting.  I  was  at  a  loss  to  understand, 
until  he  told  me  her  story.  He  had  met  her  in  the  course 
of  his  adventures  during  the  Revolution,  and  she  had  occu 
pied  a  romantic  place  in  his  affairs;  I  judged  that  she  had 
fallen  desperately  in  love  with  him,  and  had  played  several 
tricks  on  him  and  on  her  rivals  to  obtain  possession  of  him. 
In  the  end,  finding  that  he  loved  only  my  mother,  she  had 
relinquished  her  efforts. 

Now  I  have  to  tell  of  something  more  bitter  than  any 
thing  that  has  ever  come  into  my  life,  or  ever  will,  God  grant. 
I  cannot  write  of  it  without  tears  of  grief  and  remorse; 
but  let  me  tell  it,  without  these  pleas  of  my  own  troubled 
conscience.  We  had  not  been  together  long  when  the 
Epervier  was  prepared  for  a  voyage  home  with  the  newly 
signed  treaty,  and  the  released  captives  were  put  aboard 
her.  My  father  was  reluctant  to  leave  me,  and  begged 
permission  of  Captain  Decatur  to  accompany  me  on  the 
Guerriere,  which  was  granted.  But  I,  knowing  that  we  had 
work  still  to  do  thereabouts,  and  unwilling  to  have  my  father 
undergo  the  dangers  and  excitements  of  an  action  at  sea, 
urged  him  to  go  on  the  Epervier. 

"My  son,"  he  said,  wringing  my  hand,  "we  shall  not 
meet  again  on  this  earth,  but  I  am  content,  since  we  have 
been  together  through  these  days  at  the  last.  Farewell." 

The  Epervier,  from  the  time  she  passed  through  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar,  was  never  seen  of  man ! 

Our  work  was  not  finished  with  the  Algerian  treaty. 
Both  Tripoli  and  Tunis  had  offended  by  permitting  British 
cruisers  to  take  out  of  their  ports  some  prizes  that  had  been 


484  VALOR  &  VICTORY 

brought  there  by  the  privateer  Abellino.  Being  in  the  mood 
to  chastise  them,  and  having  gained  prestige  by  his  handling 
of  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  Captain  Decatur  sailed  to  Tunis, 
where  we  arrived  July  26,  and  forced  upon  the  unwilling 
Dey  the  payment  of  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  compen 
sation  for  the  loss  of  the  prizes. 

The  Bashaw  of  Tripoli  was  inclined  to  be  more  obsti 
nate.  When  our  squadron  was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the 
town,  he  brought  his  20,000  Turks  out  and  paraded  them 
up  and  down  the  batteries,  hoping  to  intimidate  Decatur. 
But  he  soon  changed  his  front  when  he  learned  what 
had  been  accorded  to  his  fellow  barbarians,  and  not  only 
paid  $25,000  for  the  prizes  seized  in  his  harbor,  but  was 
cordial  in  his  reception  of  Decatur  and  the  officers  of  the 
fleet. 

From  Tripoli  we  sailed  to  Sicily,  and  thence  to  Gibraltar, 
where  we  met  the  squadron  that  had  come  out  under  Cap 
tain  Bainbridge  to  assist  in  the  reduction  of  Moslem  arro 
gance.  Although  the  work  had  already  been  done  when 
they  arrived,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  keep  a  large  force 
in  the  Mediterranean  lest  the  Moors  should  change  their 
minds  about  the  treaties  they  had  made.  The  wisdom  of 
this  became  apparent  during  the  following  spring,  when  the 
Dey  of  Algiers  was  inclined  to  recede  from  his  promises ;  but 
the  appearance  of  the  fleet  before  his  harbor  soon  put  him 
in  a  more  amiable  frame  of  mind. 

It  was  while  I  was  at  Gibraltar,  waiting  to  sail  for 
America,  that  I  received  another  order  from  the  navy  de 
partment  that,  to  say  the  least,  struck  me  as  strange. 
The  manner  in  which  I  had  been  sent  from  one  duty  to 
another  without  being  given  the  opportunity  to  visit  the 
capital  had  aroused  some  suspicion  in  my  mind  that  I  was 
the  victim  of  an  intrigue.  This  last  instruction  from  the 
department  was  nothing  less  than  that  I  should  report  to 


AN   OLD   HATE,  AND  A   NEW  487 

the  third  assistant  secretary  of  the  navy  at  a  certain  hour 
of  a  certain  day,  "wind  and  tide  permitting." 

I  arrived  in  Washington  the  day  before  the  appointment, 
and  should  undoubtedly  have  gone  at  once  to  see  Ruth,  in 
which  case  there  would  perhaps  have  been  a  different  story 
to  tell,  had  I  not  been  filled  with  foreboding  and  anxiety  by 
the  non-arrival  in  port  of  the  Epervier,  long  overdue.  This 
news  filled  my  thoughts  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else, 
so  much  so  that  I  was  preoccupied  when  I  repaired  at  last 
to  the  office  of  the  secretary  at  the  hour  appointed. 

Making  myself  and  my  errand  known  to  a  clerk  in  the 
office,  I  was  conducted  by  him  to  an  inner  door  which  he 
opened,  and  ushered  me  in.  I  glanced  about,  looking  for 
any  one  who  might  have  business  with  me.  At  a  table, 
near  the  window,  grinning  and  leering  at  me,  was  a  thick, 
roundish  man  of  middle  age,  and  another,  a  young  man  of 
about  my  own  years,  with  dark  eyes  and  dark  curling  hair, 
for  whom  I  felt  a  prepossession. 

For  a  moment  I  gazed  at  the  first,  waiting  for  him  to 
speak,  he  seeming  to  be  the  one  in  charge  of  the  office.  As 
I  looked,  a  half-formed  association  in  my  mind  sprang  into 
definite  recognition  of  the  man,  and  I  knew  him  to  be 
Nicholas  Snell. 

It  was  he  who  broke  silence.  "I  see  you  remember  me, 
Morris,"  he  said,  with  a  malicious  leer. 

"Is  it  you  who  have  ordered  me  here  to-day?"  I  asked. 

He  smiled  and  nodded,  "Yes." 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?    What  is  your  purpose?" 

"Why,  I  wanted  to  see  you,  of  course." 

The  man's  complacency  stirred  me  more  and  more  to 
anger.  "I  cannot  guess  your  purpose,"  I  cried,  "or  what 
you  thought  to  gain  in  sending  me  away  to  sea  - 

"Indeed,  Morris?  I  thought  you  might  have  guessed 
by  this  time,"  he  interrupted. 


488 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


"But  whatever  your  plots,  they  will  be  thwarted." 

"Oh,  I  think  not.     You  return  rather  late  for  that," 

with  a  turn  of  his  head  toward  the  third  party  to  the  scene. 

The  truth  began  to  break  upon  me.     I  stepped  closer 

to  the  table;    I  leaned  across  it,  fairly  shouting  in  Snell's 

face,  and    shaking   my  fist    under    his    nose.     "It    is  you 

who  have  been  ordering  me  from  one  ship  to  another  all 

these  years, 
keeping  me 
away  from 
Washington," 
I  cried.  I 
reached  across 
the  table,  my 
fingers  ex 
tended  ;  he  was 
shrinking  from 
me,  showing 
signs  of  fear 

THE  HOUSE  IN  WHICH  DECATUR  DIED  IN  WASHINGTON     for  all  his  SttnP 

froid,  when  the  other  man  placed  a  restraining  hand  on  my 
shoulder.  "Who  is  this  man?"  he  cried,  confronting  Snell. 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  I  forgot  to  do  the  honors,"  sneered 
Snell.  "Major  Michael  Forbeson:  Lieutenant  Richard 
Morris  of  the  United  States  Navy." 

"I  see  your  tricks,"  he  cried;  "but  I  shall  cheat  you. 
If  you  are  men,  there  shall  be  only  one  of  us  left  alive  on 
my  wedding-day.  If  you  are  wholly  the  cur  that  you  ,seem, 
and  will  not  fight,  I  shall  make  no  task  of  slaying  you  like 
a  dog." 

"I  do  not  know  what  cause  of  quarrel  there  may  be  be 
tween  us,"  I  said,  "and  shall  not  make  too  fine  inquiries; 
but  there  will  be  a  deep  quarrel,  if  you  come  between  me 
and  my  vengeance  on  this  man." 


AN   OLD  HATE,  AND   A  NEW 


489 


"I  have  little  enough  choice  which  one  of  you  I  slay 
first,"  he  returned,  looking  at  me  with  blazing  eyes,  "but 
now  that  you  come  to  threaten,  I  choose  you."  With  the 
words,  he  struck  me  in  the  face. 

I  was  too  much  of  a  sailor,  and  too  angry,  to  let  it  go  at 
that,  and  struck  back,  and  would  have  followed  it,  in 
good  sea  fashion,  if  my  second  blow  had  not  sent  him  to 
the  ground. 

I  looked  at  Snell.  He  was  pulling  the  bell  cord  to  the 
outer  office,  satisfaction  on  his  features. 

The  one  who  had  ushered  me  in  entered  the  room  in 
response  to  Snell's  ring,  followed  by  two  others.  Snell  arose ; 
Forbeson  struggled  to  his  feet.  We  stood  in  sullen  silence 
for  a  moment.  Snell  spoke  first. 

•" Brown,"  he  said,  addressing  the  clerk,  "please  show 
these  two  quarrelsome  gentlemen  to  the  door." 

With  that  I  left,  followed  by  Forbeson.  In  the 
entry  he  stopped  -,*  me>  to  hand  me  his 

card,  with  much 
ceremony.      I    re 
sponded  in  kind, 
and    left 
him. 


THE  HOUSE  AT    SECOND  AND  B    STREETS,   WASHINGTON,   WHERE  THE  ONLY 
ARMED  RESISTANCE  WAS  MADE  TO  BRITISH  INVASION 


CHAPTER  V 


AN   OLD   LOVE,   AND   A   NEW 

IN  my  inability  to  understand  the  situation  I  was  not  at 
a  loss  what  to  do.     I  called  into  my  confidence  a  fellow- 
officer  of  the  Guerriere,  and  sent  him  to  both  Snell  and 

Captain  Forbeson.  I  had 
grave  fears  lest  Snell  would 
not  fight. 

The  reply  I  received 
from  each  was  a  surprise 
and  a  disappointment. 
Although  I  had  lost  no 
time,  Captain  Forbeson's 
expedition  had  exceeded 
mine;  my  second  reached 
Nicholas  Snell  when  Forbe 
son's  second  was  concluding 
arrangements  for  a  meeting 
on  the  following  morning, 
at  Bladensburg,  between 
DOLLY  MADISON  Snell  and  Forbeson.  It  was 

agreed  among  the  three  seconds  that  I  might  present  myself 
at  the  field  of  honor,  and  engage  the  survivor. 

At  the  appointed  time  I  rode  out  to  Bladensburg,  accom 
panied  by  my  second,  bearing  a  pair  of  swords  and  a  set  of 
dueling  pistols  in  case  there  should  be  a  meeting  with  either, 
for  Snell  had  chosen  firearms  and  Forbeson  steel.  The  two 
who  were  to  fight  before  me  were  already  there,  confronting 
each  other.  Pistols  were  the  weapons,  Snell,  is  seemed, 
conceiving  himself  to  have  no  little  skill  with  that  arm. 

490 


AN    OLD    LOVE,    AND    A    NEW  491 

They  stood  at  twenty  paces,  each  with  his  weapon  raised. 
At  a  middle  distance  between,  but  at  one  side,  stood  one 
whom  they  had  selected  to  drop  a  handkerchief  as  a  signal ; 
the  white  cloth  was  hanging  in  the  dead  air  from  his  fingers ; 
the  scene  was  as  quiet  as  the  great  Beyond  which  one  of 
them  seemed  likely  soon  to  enter.  I  had  no  malice  in  my 
heart  against  the  stranger,  but  I  found  myself  wishing  that 
it  might  be  he,  that  I  could  have  my  satisfaction  at  first 
hand  from  Snell. 

In  the  midst  of  this  thought  the  handkerchief  fell.  My 
eyes  were  on  Snell ;  I  saw  his  pistol  leap  with  the  discharge ; 
saw  the  smoke  spurt  out ;  heard  the  explosion.  In  the  next 
instant,  I  saw  him  sink  to  the  ground,  his  face  distorted. 

I  turned  swiftly  to  see  how  the  other  might  have  fared, 
and  why  he  did  not  fire.  He  lay  on  the  ground,  his  head 
supported  by  his  second;  above  them  hung  a  little  wisp  of 
smoke.  They  had  fired  simultaneously,  and  each  had  hit. 

I  stood  in  my  tracks,  watching  one  and  then  the  other 
for  a  sign  of  the  extent  of  their  injuries.  Glancing  presently 
toward  Forbeson,  I  saw  his  second  beckoning  me,  and  went 
thither.  The  wounded  man  held  up  a  hand  to  me.  "We 
shall  not  meet,"  he  whispered,  being,  as  I  saw  at  once,  des 
perately  hard  hit.  "He  has  finished  me." 

"He  is  down,  too,"  I  returned. 

"So  they  have  told  me,"  Forbeson  replied.  The  cold 
blooded  way  in  which  we  conversed  seems  strange  enough 
to  me  now,  but  at  the  time,  and  in  the  circumstances,  there 
on  the  field  where  we  had  come  to  administer  death  to  one 
another,  it  seemed  natural  enough. 

"Ay,  and  he  is  dead,"  whispered  his  second,  who  had 
been  watching  the  group  about  the  other  combatant. 

"Then  there  is  but  one  thing  more  for  me  to  do,"  ob 
served  Forbeson,  contentedly.  He  held  up  his  hand  to  me 
again.  "Lean  over;  listen,"  he  whispered. 


492 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


I  knelt  at  his  side  on  the  ground.  I  did  not  make  any 
attempt  to  staunch  the  wound,  although  prompted  to  by  my 
surgical  instinct.  It  was  past  all  help. 

"  There  is  not  much  that  I  have  to  do,"  the  wounded 
man  went  on:  "for  which  I  thank  God,  for  I  fear  there  is 
not  much  time  left  for  me  to  do  it  in.  You  have  been 


AN  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  MONTPELIER 

tricked  by  this  villain  now  happily  dead;  how  much  you 
have  been  tricked  I  can  never  tell  you.  What  I  have  to 
say  before  I  die  is  of  something  else  —  is  of  Ruth." 

My  heart  shriveled  with  a  fear  that  this  was  Ruth's 
beloved  dying  before  me.  I  looked  without  thinking  toward 
the  wound,  to  see  if  anything,  after  all,  might  be  done. 

"I  was  to  have  been  married  to  her  within  the  week," 
he  went  on,  huskily,  struggling  for  breath.  ''Do  not  look 
so  solemn  over  it.  I  am  dying,  you  see." 

"That  is  why  I  look  solemn,  man,"  I  retorted,  somewhat 


AN    OLD    LOVE,  AND    A    NEW 


495 


angered  by  his  insinuation,  for  all  that  he  was  a  dying  man. 
I  was  hardened  to  death,  perhaps,  by  my  profession. 

"I  meant  nothing  hard,"  said  he,  perceiving  my  displea 
sure  with  the  quickened  sense  of  a  dying  man,  "and  do  not 
believe  that  her  grief  will  be  as  great  as  you  fear.  She  was 
to  have  been  my  wife,  but  only  because  she  thought  you 
dead  and  buried  beneath  the  sea;  for  it  is  you  she  loves. 
Now  't  is  all  ended,  and  may  God  give  you  luck  in  it!" 

How  shall  I  tell  the  rest  ?  I  was  with  him  until  he  died, 
some  hours  later.  That  much  I  felt  I  owed  her.  I  did  not 
go  to  her  in  her  grief.  That  much,  too,  >  I  owed 
her.  I  did  not  go  to  her  until  she  learned  that  I 

was  in  Washington. 

Spare  me  the  telling  of  that  meeting.  I    went 

promising  myself  to  keep  up  the  fiction  of  her  love 

for  Forbeson,  and  her  bereavement. 
May  God  forgive  me  if  I  broke 
that   promise!     As  soon  as  it 
was  seemly  we  were  married, 
going  to  live  in  Baltimore, 
where  I  practiced   medi 
cine  and  surgery,  with  a 
run  now  and  then  down 
the  bay  on  a  small  craft 
I  had  built.     There  is 
little  more  to  be  told. 
My  grief  over  the  loss 
of  my  father,  and  the 
shock  it  occasioned, 
was  the  only  remain 
ing  unhappiness  in  our 
lives.     My  beloved  wife 
has  proved  herself  a  pat 
tern  of  devotion;  our  chil- 


THE  BURIAL  PLACE  OF  JAMES  MADISON 


496 


VALOR   &   VICTORY 


dren  have  grown  up  about  us  to  call  us  blessed ;  our  worldly 
affairs  prosper  sufficiently;  I  am  a  man  of  some  repute 
among  my  fellow-citizens,  and  can  feel  that  I  have  done 
some  good. 

I  do  not  want  to  bring  this  narrative  to  a  close  without 
speaking  of  Sylvester  Stevens.  He  is  grown  a  great  man 
in  Kentucky  now,  and  is  happy  in  the  conjugal  companion 
ship  of  her  who  was  Margaret  Rutgers. 

President  Madison,  in  office  for  two  years  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  left  with  his  sins  of  omission,  of  which  he  had 
been  guilty  during  the  conflict,  forgotten,  and  enjoying  the 
affectionate  regard  of  his  countrymen.  Now,  in  the  year 
1823,  our  country  thrives,  and  is  happy  and  prosperous. 
We  as  a  nation  have  turned  our  faces  from  the  sea,  and  are 
spreading  over  the  vast  West,  full  of  untold  riches  for  a 
race  such  as  ours. 

As  for  me  and  mine,  we  are  passing  down  the  current 
of  our  lives  smoothly,  with  great  happiness,  and  bountiful 
measure  of  those  things  that  make  life  worthy:  love,  affec 
tion,  and  sympathy.  ^^  So  be  it  to 
THE  END. 


IN  THE  GROUNDS  AT 

MONTPELIER 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abellino,  THE 

American  privateer,  484 

takes  prizes  into  Tunis  and  Tripoli,  483 
Acasta,  THE 

British  frigate  of  forty  guns,  472 

in  Collier's  squadron,  472 

pursues  American  ships,  472 

recaptures  Levant  at  Port  Praya,  472 

ADAIR,  JOHN 

leads  Kentucky  forces  at  battle  of  Xew 
Orleans,  404. 

ADAMS,  ABIGAIL 

wife  of  John  Adams,  208 
portrait  of.  208 

spot  where,  saw  burning  of  Charlestown, 
picture  of,  420. 

ADAMS,  JOHN 

concludes  treaty  of  Paris,  2  r 

peace  negotiations  of,  a  triumph  of  diplomacy, 

44 

portrait  of,  69 

raises  money  from  Dutch  usurers,  72 
goes    to    England    to    negotiate    commercial 

treaty,  72 

snubbed  by  England,  72 
with  Washington  at  his  inauguration,  119 
becomes  President,  202 
publishes  Telleyrand's  correspondence,  202 
consistently  fosters  navy,  202 
Vassall  House  at  Quincy,  Massachusetts,  the 

home  of,  picture  of,  205 

ADAMS,  JOHN  QUINCY 

peace  commissioner  at  Ghent,  423 
spot    where,    saw    burning    of    Charlestown, 
picture,  of,  424 

ADAMS,  SAMUEL 

doubts  the  wisdom  of  consolidation  of  States, 
85 

the  grave  of,  picture  of,  98 

chairman  of  ratification  convention,  99 

public  opinion  leads,  to  favor  Constitution,  99 
Adams ,  THE 

American  frigate,  464 

destroyed  off  coast  of  Maine,  464 
Alert,  THE 

the  Essex  captures,  327-328 
ALGIERS 

Bainbridge  brings  tribute  to  Dey  of,  224 

under  tribute  to  Grand  Porte  of  Constanti 
nople,  226 

makes  treaty  of  peace  with  France,  226-227 

offends  Grand  Porte,  227 

demands  that  Bainbridge  carry  present  to 
Sultan  of  Turkey,  227 


ALGIERS  —  continued 

Grand    Porte   demands   that,  make   war   on 

France,  227 

Dey  of,  resentful  toward  Bainbridge,  227-228 
Dey  of,  brought  to  terms  by  frigate  President 

and  the  Enterprise,  228 
from  the  sea,  picture  of,  248 
a  tropical  garden  in,  picture  of  252 
port  of,  picture  of,  254 
Dey    of,    looses    corsairs    against    American 

shipping,  472 
Decatur  sails  for,  425,  473 
Decatur  and  Dey  of,  picture  of,  473 
navy  of,  473 

Rais  Hammida,  admiral  of,  473 
panorama  of,  475 
description  of,  477-478 
in  the  old  town  of,  picture  of,  478 
Decatur  forces  treaty  with,  478-480 
Dey  of,  inclined  to  break  treaty   484 
Dey  of,  influenced  by  presence  of  Bainbridge, 

484 

ALLEN,  WILLIAM  HENRY 

carries  live  coal  to  fire  gun  of  Chesapeake,  309 

AMES,  FISHER 

portrait  of,  200 

speech  of,  gains  acceptance  of  Jay's  treaty  by 
senate,  201 

ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND 

Congress  at,  46 

Washington    resigning    his    commission    at, 

picture  of,  47 

the  old  City  Hotel  at,  picture  of,  49 
the  old  senate  chamber  at,  picture  of,  50 
old  State  House  at,  picture  of,  51 
commissioners  from  several  States  go  to,  79 
old  Capitol  at,  picture  of,  80 
old  senate  chamber  at,  picture  of,  81 
Argus,  THE 

American  brig  of  sixteen  guns,  448 
Arthur  Sinclair  in  command  of,  448 

Ariel,  THE 

American  ship  in  Perry's  squadron,  458 
assists  Lawrence,  458 
ARMSTRONG,  JOHN 

major  on  Gates's  staff,  23 

writes  inflammatory  appeal  to  soldiers,  23,  2£ 

acts  under  mistaken  belief,  23 

succeeds   Eustis   as  secretary   of  war,   under 

Madison,  345 

meets  Winder  at  Old  Fields,  371 
resigns  from  cabinet  under  severe  criticism,  381 
succeeded  by  Monroe,  381 
ARTICLES  OF  CONFEDERATION 

adopted  by  last  of  colonies,  68 

establish  Congress  on  constitutional  basis,  68 


502 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


ARTICLES  OF  CONFEDERATION  —  cont. 

merely  a  bond  between  commonwealths,  68 
conditions  upon  which  Maryland  consented  to, 

74 

Congress  begs  to  amend,  80 
impost  amendment  to,  defeated,  80 

ASSUNPINK  RIVER 

Washington  crosses  in  triumph,  no 
Atlanta,  THE 

British  war  vessel,  465 

captured  by  Wasp,  465 

brings  last  news  of  Wasp  to  Savannah,  465 
Avon,  THE 

British  war  vessel,  465 

captured  by  Wasp,  465 

B 

BALTIMORE,  MARYLAND 

old  cannon  in,  picture  of,  376 

battle  monument  at,  picture  of,  377 

British   naval    attack   on,   repulsed    by    Fort 

McHenry,  382 

British  defeated  in  land  engagement  at,  382 
Ross  killed  in  attack  upon,  382 

BAINBRIDGE,  WILLIAM 

captain  of  the  George  Washington,  224 
sails  for  Algiers  with  tribute  for  Dey,  224 
portrait  of,  225 

forced  to  carry  present  from  Dey  to  Sultan,  227 
Dey  resentful  toward,  227-228 
taken  prisoner  by  Tripolitans,  232 
meets  Decatur  at  Gibraltar,  484 
in  command  of  Mediterranean  squadron,  484 
brings  Dey  of  Algiers  into  compliance  with 
treaty,  484 

BARATARIA  LAKE,  LOUISIANA 

Lafitte  brings  pirates  from,  to  Jackson,  400 

BARBARY   STATES,    see   also    ALGIERS, 
TRIPOLI,  TUNIS 

pirates  protected  by,  225 

United  States  declares  war  against,  472 

offend  United  States,  483 

BARBER,  FRANCIS 

lieutenant-colonel  on  Gates's  staff,  23 
distributes    inflammatory     pamphlet    among 
soldiers,  23,  28 

BARCLAY,  COMMODORE  ROBERT  H. 

commands  British  squadron  on  Lake  Erie,  342, 

456 

blockades  American  squadron,  456 
Perry  escapes  from  blockade  of,  456 
at  Camden,  456 
refuses  to  engage  Perry,  456 
has  to  leave  Camden,  456 
squadron  of,  descried  by  Perry,  456 
description  of  squadron  of,  457 
fights  Perry,  458-461 
surrenders  to  Perry,  461-462 
BARNEY,  JOSHUA 

captain  in  American  navy,  375 
commands  marines  at  Bladensburg,  375 
fights  gallantly  but  is  dislodged,  375 

BARREAUT,  CAPTAIN 

captain  of  the  Insurgente,  218 


BARRON,  JAMES 

in  command  of  the  New  York,  230 
takes  command  of  fleet  in  Mediterranean,  247 
releases  command  to  Rodgers,  247 
returns  to  America  in  ill  health,  247 
commands  the  Chesapeake  in  encounter  with 
the  Leopard,  309 

BATTLE  OF  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN,  see  MAC- 
DONOUGH,  THOMAS 

BATTLE   OF   LUNDY'S    LANE,    see  also 
LUNDY'S  LANE 

.    picture  of,  355 
description  of,  363,  365 

BATTLE   OF   NEW   ORLEANS,   see  also 
JACKSON,  ANDREW 

pictures  of,  405,  419 

description  of,  404-408 

news  of  victory  at,  rejoices  Washington,  419 

BATTLE  OF  PLATTSBURG  BAY,  see  also 
MACDONOUGH,  THOMAS 

picture  of,  393 

BAYARD,  JAMES  A. 

peace  commissioner  at  Ghent,  423 

Bellerophon,  THE 

carrying  Napoleon  to  Saint  Helena,  picture  of, 
43i 

BENEDICT,  MARYLAND 

on  Chesapeake  Bay,  370 

Ross  lands  with  invading  army  at,  370 

BENTON,  THOMAS  HART 

wounds  Jackson  in  duel,  398 

Berceau,  THE 
French  corvette,  221 
the  Boston  captures,  221 

BERKELEY,  VIRGINIA 

birthplace  of  Harrison  at,  picture  of,  342 

BERLIN,  MARYLAND 

birthplace  of  Stephen  Decatur  at,  picture  of, 
227 

BIDDLE,  JAMES 

taken  prisoner  in  Tripoli,  232 

commander  of  the  Hornet,  232 

in  encounter  between  Wasp  and  Hornet,  338 

BIRD  WOMAN 

accompanies  Lewis  and  Clark,  283,  286 

BLADENSBURG,  MARYLAND 

battlefield  at,  picture  of,  369 

Winder  throws  up  breastworks  at,  371 

location  of,  371 

Winder  rides  to,  371 

Winder  leaves  unwatched  the  road  through, 

372 

British  attack,  375 
Barney  and  his  marines  fight  gallantly  at,  375 

BLENNERHASSET,  HARMAN 

Burr  goes  to  see,  291 

undertakes  to  direct  forces  for  Burr,  291 

flees,  296 

Burr  joins,  299 

wrecked  in  Burr's  intrigue,  301 

dies  in  poverty,  301 


INDEX 


503 


BpLLMAN,  ERIC 

in  Burr's  conspiracy,  299 
case  against,  dismissed,  299 

BONAPARTE,  NAPOLEON,  see  NAPOLEON 

BONAPARTE 
BOONE,  DANIEL 

a  frontiersman,  95 

portrait  of,  100 

monument  at  Boonesborough,  picture  of,  100 

eld   ferry   on   the   Kentucky   River,   showing 

where  the  daughters  of,  and  the  Galloway 

girls  were  captured  by  Indians,  picture  of, 

102 

where,  first  beheld  Kentucky,  picture  of,  137 
old  monument  to,  picture  of,  142 
loses  property  in  Kentucky,  143 
retires  to  Missouri,  143 

services  of,  recognized  by  grant  of  land,  143 
dies,  143 

buried  in  Kentucky,  143 

monument  to,  after  remodeling,  picture  of,  143 
Boone's  Cave,  where,  spent  the  winter  of  1769- 

1770,  picture  of,  144 

BOONESBOROUGH,  KENTUCKY 

Boone  monument  at,  picture  of,  100 
spring  near,  picture  of,  101 

BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 

grave  of  John  Hancock  at,  picture  of,  83 
grave  of  Samuel  Adams  at,  picture  of,  98 
Constitution  reaches,  446 
Constitution  blockaded  in,  464 
Constitution  sails  from,  464 

Boston,  THE 

captures  the  Berceau,  221 

BOWDOIN,  JAMES 

governor  of  Massachusetts,  75 

sends  Lincoln  against  Shays,  75 

constituents  of,  elect  Hancock  governor,   85 

BRITISH  INVASION  OF  LOUISIANA,  see 
PAKENHAM,  SIR  EDWARD 

BRITISH  INVASION  OF  MARYLAND,  see 
Ross,  ROBERT 

BROCK,  SIR  ISAAC 

opposes  Hull's  march,  315 

portrait  of,  316 

Hull  surrenders  to,  316 

Hull's  surrender  to,  picture  of,  318 

killed  at  Queenston  Heights,  329 

spot  where,  fell  at  Queenston  Heights,  picture 

of,  328 
monument  to,  at  Queenston  Heights,  picture 

of,  329 

BROKE,  SIR  PHILIP  BOWES  VERE 

commands  the  Shannon,  341 
captures  the  Chesapeake,  341 

BROWN,  JACOB 

Madison  appoints,  major-general,  345 

man  of  integrity,  351 

marches  from  Sackett's  Harbor  to  Niagara, 

352 

finds  Scott  at  Niagara  with  3500  men,  352 
marches  on  Fort  Erie,  353 
captures  Fort  Erie,  354 
marches  on  Chippewa,  354 


BROWN,   JACOB  —  continued 

decides  to  bridge  river  at  Chippewa,  354 

sends  Porter  to  attack  British,  357 

defeats  Riall  at  Chtppewa,  359 

drives  Riall  from  his  camp,  359 

marches  on  Queenston,  359 

portrait  of,  363 

falls  back  on  Chippewa,  361-362 

sends  Scott  against  enemy,  362 

holds  hill  at  Lundy's  Lane,  363 

wounded  in  battle,  364 

leads  army  to  camp  two  miles  away,  365 

sends  back  for  captured  guns,  365 

finds  British  in  possession  of  battlefield,  365 

repels  British  attack  on  Fort  Erie,  382 

Izard  ordered  to  join,  383 

BURGOYNE,  JOHN  C., 

credit  of  capturing,  due  Schuyler,  31 

BURLINGTON,  NEW  JERSEY 

birthplaces   of   James   Fenimore   Cooper  and 
James  Lawrence  at,  picture  of,  335 

BURR,  AARON 

portrait  of,  87 

attracts  a  coterie  of  young  men,  87-88 

birthplace  of,  picture,  88 

prominent  and  successful  lawyer,  88 

grandson  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  88 

son  of  president  of  College  of  New  Jersey,  88 

personal  description  of,  88 

Hamilton  the  only  rival  of,  88 

Richmond  Hill,  home  of,  picture,  89 

conspiracy  to  elect,  President,  259 

tie  between,  and  Jefferson  in  electoral  vote  for 

Presidency,  259 

Hamilton  and,  bitter  enemies,  262 
kills  Hamilton  in  duel,  262 
indicted  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  262 
flees  to  Philadelphia,  263 
duel  between,  and  Hamilton,  picture  of,  263 
presides    over    senate    during    impeachment 

proceedings  against  Chase,  263 
Clinton  succeeds,  as  vice-president  of  United 

States,  263 

makes  journey  through  West,  263 
expresses  contempt  for  Constitution,  264 
close  friendship  of,  with  Merry,  264 
refuses    to    enter    into    covenant    with    New 

England  Federalists,  265 
rumors    of    conspiracy  of,    to    divide    Union 

reach  Washington,  289,  290 
intrigues  with  Merry  and  Yrujo,  290 
Truxtun  rebuffs,  290 
Eaton  reveals  secret  of,  to  Jefferson,  290 
home  of,  in  New  York,  picture,  290 
unable  to  secure  aid  in  East,  290-291 
Morgan  repulses,  291 
Blennerhasset  warms  to  plan  of,  291 
wins  confidence  of  Andrew  Jackson,  292 
purchases  grant  on  Washita,  292 
Daviess  attacks,  292 
progresses  with  scheme,  292 
Daviess  brings,  into  court,  292 
Jefferson  takes  action  against,  294-296 
Wilkinson  turns  traitor  to,  294-299 
explains  matters  to  Jackson,  296 
joins  Blennerhasset,  299 
learns  of  Wilkinson's  treachery,  299 


5°4 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


BURR,  AARON  —  continued 
flees,  299 
arrested,  299 
trial  of,  299-300 
escapes  punishment,  300-301 
prison  of,  in  Richmond,  picture,  300 
ruined  and  discredited,  301 
marries  Madam  Jumel,  307 
dies,  301 
Banner's  Hotel,  New  York,  in  which,  died, 

picture  of,  301 
tomb  of,  picture,  302 

BUTLER,  GENERAL  RICHARD 

in  command  of  force  against  Indians,  182 
force  of,  encounters  Indians  on  upper  Wabash, 

182-183 
scalped  and  tomahawked,  183 


CADIZ,  SPAIN 

Decatur  at,  473 

Caledonia,  THE 

American  vessel  in  Perry's  squadron,  458 

CALHOUN,  JOHN  CALDWELL 

portrait  of,  310 

Clay  finds  kindred  spirit  in,  312 
CAMDEN,  ONTARIO 

British  squadron  at,  456 
Perry  sails  to,  456 
Barclay  will  not  leave,  456 
British  squadron  forced  out  of,  456 

CAMPBELL,  CAPTAIN  HUGH  GEORGE 

in  command  of  corvette  that  goes  to  Barbary, 
230 

CANADA 

many  Tories  go  to,  41 

Franklin  asks  England  for,  44 

many   believe   that,   can   be   conquered   in    a 

campaign,  315 

operations  against,  languish,  328 
New  York  militia  refuse  to  cross  into,  329 

CANNING,  GEORGE 

prime  minister  of  England,  311 
repudiates  promises  of  Erskine,  311 

CARD,  JACK 

American  sailor  impressed  on  Macedonian,  453 
killed  in  action  with  United  States,  453 

CARLETON,  SIR  GUY 

remains  idle  in  New  York,  21 
evacuates  New  York,  45 
Carolina,  THE 

river  gunboat  at  New  Orleans,  397 
attacks  British  camp,  402 
destroyed  by  British  fire,  403 
sailors  from,  man  earthworks,  404 

CARROLL,  HENRY 

a  secretary  to  the  commission  of  peace,  421 
brings  news  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  421 
CARROLL,  WILLIAM 

brings  Tennessee  brigade  to  Jackson  at  New 
Orleans,  400 

CARTHAGENA,  SPAIN 

Macedonian  takes  captured  Mashouda  to,  477 


CATALANO,  SALVATORE 

pilot  with  Decatur,  234 

CHASE,  SAMUEL 

Justice  of  Supreme  Court  of  United  States,  203 
harshly  administers  sedition  law,  203 
Randolph    brings    impeachment    proceedings 
against,  263 

CHARLESTON,  SOUTH  CAROLINA 

Genet  lands  at,  191 
CHATAHOOCHEE  RIVER 

southern   boundary   of   United   States   to  run 
from  Yazoo  River  to,  72 

CHATEAUGAY,  QUEBEC 

Hampton  waits  for  Wilkinson  at,  344 

CHAUNCEY,  ISAAC 

in  command  of  Chesapeake,  230 

Brown  awaits  ships  of,  at  Queenston,  359 

commodore   commanding    American  fleet   on 

Lake  Ontario,  342,  454 
awaits  attack  of  British,  454 
assists  in  capture  of  York,  342,  455 
portrait  of,  461 
Cherub,  THE 
British  frigate,  466 
blockades  Porter  in  Valparaiso.  466 
fights  Essex,  466 
Essex  surrenders  to,  466 
Essex  fighting  Phoebe  and,  picture  of,  469 

CHESAPEAKE  BAY 

Cochrane  lays  waste  shores  of,  350 
Ross  lands  invading  army  at  Benedict  on,  370 
Chesapeake,  THE 

in  squadron  that  goes  to  Barbary,  230 
impressing  American  seamen  from,  picture  of, 

308 

fired  upon  and  disabled  by  the  Leopard,  309 
forced  to  surrender,  309 
and  Shannon,  picture  of,  336 
captured  by  Shannon,  341 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 

in  1830;  old  Fort  Dearborn,  picture  of,  313 

Fort  Dearborn,  picture  of,  322 

bas-relief  from  tablet  marking  site  of  old  Fort 

Dearborn  in,  picture  of,  323 
Indians  murder  garrison  at,  328 
Fort  Dearborn  massacre  at,  picture  of,  331 
Black   Partridge  saving   Mrs.    Helm   in  Fort 

Dearborn  massacre  at,  picture  of,  332 

CHIPPEWA,  ONTARIO 

Brown  to  march  on,  353 
Brown  and  Scott  march  on,  354 
Scott  halts  for  reinforcements  near,  354 
Brown  sends  Porter  to  attack  British  at,  357 
Brown  and  Scott  defeat  Riall  at,  359    - 
Riall  driven  from  camp  at,  359 
American  and  British  losses  at,  359-360 
Brown  falls  back  on,  361 
Chubb,  THE 

British  sloop-of-war  in  Downie's  squadron,  384 
crippled  and  forced  to  strike,  386 

CINCINNATI,  ORDER  OF  THE 

decoration  of  the,  picture  of,  37 

idea  of  General  Knox  leads  to  formation  of,  43 

rules  and  observances  of,  43 

country  bitterly  opposed  to,  43-44 


INDEX 


505 


CLARK,  GEORGE  ROGERS 

captured  British  outpost  during  Revolution, 

280 
William  Clark  a  brother  of,  280 

CLARK,  WILLIAM 

portrait  of,  278 

trail-maker  to  the  far  Northwest,  278 
Lewis  and,  placed  at  head  of  exploring  expedi 
tion,  280 

brother  of  George  Rogers  Clark,  280 
expedition  of,  sets  out  from  Saint  Louis,  280 
explorations  of,  280-283 
returns  to  Saint  Louis,  283 

CLAY,  HENRY 

acts  as  Burr's  attorney,  292 

birthplace    of,     Hanover     County,     Virginia, 

picture  of,  309 
portrait  of,  311 

elected  to  speakership  of  house,  312 
insists  on  war  with  England,  312 
finds  kindred  spirit  in  Calhoun,  312 
peace  commissioner  at  Ghent,  423 

Clermont,  THE 

at  Albany,  picture  of,  297 
makes  trip  up  Hudson,  303 

CLINTON,  GEORGE 

first  governor  of  New  York,  portrait  of,  66 
house  of,  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  picture, 

67 

is  opposed  to  any  change  in  New  York,  86 
followers  of,  oppose  adoption  of  Constitution, 

100 

Genet  marries  daughter  of,  192 
succeeds    Burr    as    vice-president    of    United 

States,  263 

COCHRANE,  ADMIRAL  THOMAS 

lays  waste  shores  of  Chesapeake,  350 

COCKBURN,    THE   RIGHT   HONORABLE 
SIR  GEORGE 

portrait  of,  380 

naval  commander  of  British  invading  force,  381 

goes  to  attack  Baltimore,  382 

bombards  Fort  McHenry  without  success,  382 

COFFEE,  JOHN 

American  general  under  Jackson,  399 
chases  Indians  in  Alabama,  399 
Jackson  sends  for,  399 
reaches  New  Orleans,  400 
attacks  British  left,  402 

COLLIER,  SIR  GEORGE 

portrait  of,  471 
commander  of  Leander,  472 
pursues  American  squadron,  471-472 
follows  and  recaptures  Levant,  472 

COLUMBIA  RIVER 

Lewis  and  Clark  discover  and  name,  283 
log  raft  on,  picture  of,  285 

Confiance,  THE 

British  frigate  of  thirty-seven  guns,  384 
Downie's  flag-ship,  385 
engages  the  Saratoga,  385 
rakes  the  Saratoga,  387 
Saratoga  conquers,  387 


CONGRESS 

soldiers  cannot  get  pay  from,  21 

has  no  power  to  levy  taxes,  22 

States  deny,  authority  to  collect  duties,  22,  25 

in  state  of  despair,  22 

army  passes  resolutions  expressing  confidence 
in,  36 

urges  laws  for  protection  of  Tories,  41,  45 

legislatures  disregard  wishes  of,  41 

drunken  rabble  drives,  from  Philadelphia,  42 

not  in  favor  with  the  people,  42 

instructs  Washington  to  proclaim  cessation  of 
hostilities,  45 

Articles  of  Confederation  establish,  on  con 
stitutional  basis,  68 

power  of,  68-71 

becomes  bankrupt,  72 

beseeches  States  for 'money,  73 

States  turn  over  holdings  in  West  to,  74 

refuses  to  sanction  States'  meeting,  80 

begs  to  amend  Articles  of  Confederation,  80 

people  realize  that  more  power  should  be 
vested  in,  80 

King  reconciles,  to  meeting  of  commissioners, 
81 

both  houses  of,  assemble  at  Washington's 
inauguration,  119 

Washington  addresses,  120 

government  assumes  the  debts  of  the  old,  168 

State  debts  develop  a  conflict  in,  168 

room  in  which  the  first  Constitutional,  met  in 
Philadelphia,  picture  of,  169 

meets  in  Philadelphia,  171 

investigates  Saint  Glair's  expedition,  184 

blames  Hamilton  and  Knox  for  faulty  arrange 
ments,  184 

passes  embargo,  310 

renews  act  of  non-intercourse  with  Great 
Britain,  312 

convenes  in  old  patent  office,  381 

Congress,  THE 

American  frigate  of  thirty-six  guns,  448 
John  Smith  in  command  of,  448 
sails  from  Boston,  448 
dismantled  at  Portsmouth,  464 

CONNECTICUT 

Pennsylvania    and,    squabble    for    Valley    of 

Wyoming,  71 

holds  strip  of  land  in  West,  74-75 
disregards  commercial  congress  at  Annapolis, 

79 
agrees  to  prolong  slave  trade  for  twenty  years, 

158 

Constellation,  THE 

capturing  the  French  frigate  Insurgente,  pic 
ture  of,  213 

encounter  of,  and  Insurgente,  214,  217-218 
encounter  of,  and  Vengeance,  218-221 
in  squadron  that  goes  to  Barbary,  230 
picture  of,  465 

American  frigate  of  thirty-six  guns,  473 
in  Decatur's  squadron  against  Algiers,  473 
sights  the  Mashouda,  474 
alarms  Mashouda  by  error,  474 
attacks  Mashouda,  474 

Constitution,  THE 

"Old  Ironsides,"  picture  of,  245 


5o6 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Constitution,  THE — continued 
captures  the  Java,  338 
American  frigate,  441 
pursued  by  British  squadron,  441 
Hull  in  command  of,  441 
escapes,  441 

meets  and  conquers  Guerriere,  319,  441-445 
captures  Guerriere,  picture,  443 
sails  to  Boston,  446 

greeted  with  great  enthusiasm,  446-447 
blockaded  in  Boston,  464 
escapes  British  blockade,  464,  466 
Stewart  commander  of,  464 
sails  to  Bermudas,  466 
takes  British  war  vessel,  466 
sails  to  Madeira,  466 
espies  two  British  men-of-war,  468 
fights  Cyane  and  Levant,  469,  470 
captures  Cyane  and  Levant,  424,  470 
sails  to  Port  Praya,  471 
meets  Susan  at  Port  Praya,  471 
pursued  by  British  ships,  471 
escapes,  472 
reaches  New  York,  472 

CONSTITUTION,  THE  FEDERAL 

New  York  ratifies,  99 

federal  convention  submits,  to  the  States,  99 

Madison  and  Hamilton  not  wholly  satisfied 

with,  99 

Massachusetts  ratifies,  99 
contest  over,  long  and  bitter  in  Virginia,  99 
New  Hampshire  adopts,  100 
Virginia  adopts,  100 
actions  of  convention  convened  to  draw  up, 

kept  secret,  152 
Edmund  Randolph  submits  plan  about  which, 

is  chiefly  built,  154 
Madison  chief  author  of,  154 
provisions  of,  154 

plans  submitted  for  forming  of,  154-157 
New    England    and    Southern    States    make 

compromise  in  forming  of,  158 
Gouverneur  Morris  makes  final  draft  of,  158 
order  in  which  the  States  ratify,  165-167 

COOPER,  JAMES  FENIMORE 

birthplace     of,     Burlington,      New     Jersey, 
picture,  335 

COOSA  RIVER,  GEORGIA 

Hickory   Bend   at   confluence   of   Tallapoosa 
with,  399 

CORNWALLIS,  LORD 

surrenders,  21 

CORSICA 

birthplace  of  Napoleon  at,  picture,  241 

CRAB  ISLAND,  NEW  YORK 

in  Lake  Champlain  near  Plattsburg,  384-385 

CREEK  NATION,  THE 

massacre  whites  at  Fort  Minims,  398 
Weatherford  chief  of,  398 
Council  Oak,  headquarters  of,  picture,  398 
defeated  by  Jackson  at  Horse-Shoe  Bend,  399 
Hickory  Ground,  the  seat  of,  399 
Jackson  dictates  peace  to,  399 
surrender  most  of  their  land,  399 
withdraw  to  the  West,  399 


CROCKETT,  DAVID 

with  Jackson  in  Indian  war,  398 

CUMBERLAND  HEAD,  NEW  YORK 

in  Plattsburg  Bay,  384 

CURTIS,  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  PARKE 

saves  Stuart's  portrait  of  George  Washington 
in  the  White  House,  375 

Cyane,  THE 

meets  the  Constitution,  468 
fights  the  Constitution,  469-470 
Falcon  commander  of,  470 
thirty-two  gun  frigate,  470 
surrenders  to  Stewart,  426—470 
taken  to  Port  Praya,  471 
pursued  by  British,  471 
escapes,  471 
reaches  America,  471 

D 

D ACRES,     JAMES    RICHARD,    see    also 

Guerriere,  THE 
captain  commanding  Guerriere,  440 
surrenders  Guerriere  to  Hull,  445 
Hull  demands  payment  of  bet  from,  445 

DAVIESS,  JOSEPH  HAMILTON 

writes  Jefferson  of  Burr's  conspiracy,  290 
founds  the  Western  World,  292 
makes  charges  against  Burr,  292 
brings  Burr  into  court,  292 

DAYTON,  JONATHAN 

Federalist  senator  from  New  Jersey,  290 
chief  partner  of  Burr  in  East,  290 

DEARBORN,  MAJOR-GENERAL  HENRY 

portrait  of,  321 

makes  elaborate  preparations  for  invasion  of 

Canada,  328 
DECATUR,  STEPHEN,  THE  YOUNGER 

birthplace  of,  at  Berlin,  Maryland,  picture,  227 

portrait  of,  228 

first  lieutenant  on  the  Essex,  229 

episode  of,  and  the  Spanish  captain,  229-230 

succeeds  Hull  in  command  of  the  Enterprise, 

231 

taking  the  Philadelphia,  picture  of,  235 
destroys  the  Philadelphia,  233-241 
attempts  to  run  blockade  at  New  York,  416 
commands  the  President,  416 
fights  the  Endymion,  416 
compelled  to  surrender,  416 
commands  squadron  against  Algiers,  425,  473 
Guerriere  flag-ship  of,  473 
sails  from  Boston,  473 
description  of  squadron  of,  473 
obtains  information  of  enemy  at  Cadiz,  473 
sails  from  Tangiers  in  pursuit  of  Mashouda, 

474 

sights  Mashouda,  474 
opens  fire  upon  Mashouda,  474-477 
Mashouda  surrenders  to,  477 
forces  treaty  from  Algiers,  478-480 
sails  to  Tunis,  484 
forces  Dey  of  Tunis  to  pay  for  prizes  yielded 

to  the  British,  484 
forces  Bashaw  of  Tripoli  to  pay  for  prizes,  484 


INDEX 


So? 


DECATUR,  STEPHEN,  THE  YOUNGER — 

continued 

sails  to  Sicily  and  Gibraltar,  484 
meets  Bainbridge  and  his  squadron,  484 
Washington  house  in  which,  died,  picture  of, 
488 

DEGUY,  JOHN 

American  citizen  on  Spitfire,  439 
impressed  by  Guerriere,  439 

DELAWARE 

sends  commissioner  to  Annapolis,  79 
first  State  to  ratify  the  Constitution,  165 
sealed  against  commerce,  350 

DERNE,  TRIPOLI 

capital  of  richest  province  of  Tripoli,  247 
Hamet  Karamauli  takes,  247 

DETROIT,  MICHIGAN 

English     commandant     at,     incites     Indians 

against  settlers,  182 
Hull  sets  out  from,  315 
Hull  surrenders,  316 
Hull's  surrender  at,  picture  of,  318 
at  an  early  day,  picture  of,  319 
Harrison  sets  out  to  recover,  341 
recovered,  343 

DICKINSON,  JOHN 

portrait  of,  40 

refrains  from  calling  local  militia,  42 

DOBB'S  FERRY,  NEW  YORK 

monument  at  Livingston  Manor,  picture  of,  26 
Livingston  Manor  at,  picture  of,  27 

DOUGLAS,  GEORGE 

commander  of  Levant,  470 
surrenders  to  Stewart,  470 

DOWNIE,  GEORGE 

commands     British    naval     force     on     Lake 

Champlain,  383 
description  of  squadron  of,  383 
sails  to  engage  Macdonough,  383 
finds  Macdonough  in  favorable  situation,  383- 

384 

engages  Macdonough,  385 
Confiance,  flag-ship  of,  385 
rakes  the  Niagara,  386 
surrenders,  387 

DRUMMOND,  SIR  GORDON 

joins  Riall  at  Queenston  with  veteran  brigade, 

361 
countermands  Riall's  orders  for  retreat,  363 

DUNGENESS,  GEORGIA 

"Light  Horse  Harry"  Lee's  grave  at,  picture 
of,  165 

E 

Eagle,  THE 

American     war     vessel      in      Macdonough 's 

squadron,  385 
forced  back  by  the  Linnet,  386 

EAST  CHESTER,  NEW  YORK 

Saint  Paul's  Church,  picture  of,  89 

EASTPORT,  MAINE 

captured  by  English,  350 


EATON,  WILLIAM 

consul  at  Tunis,  247 

enters  into  intrigue  with  Hamet  Karamauli, 

247 
and    Hamet    Karamauli    lead    assault    upon 

Derne,  247 
reveals  Burr's  secret  to  Jefferson,  290 

EGYPT 

Turkey  and  England  at  war  with  Napoleon  in, 
227 

ELBA,  ISLAND  OF 

Napoleon  sent  to,  350 

ELIZABETH,  NEW  JERSEY 

Boudinot  Mansion,  where  Washington  was 
entertained  by  a  committee  from  Congress, 
picture  of,  109 

ELLIOTT,  JESSE  DUNCAN 

commander  of  Niagara,  458 

disregards  orders,  458 

comes  to  assistance  of  Lawrence,  458 

Enterprise,  THE 

capturing  a  Tripolitan  corsair,  picture  of,  215 

wins  fame  in  war  with  France,  222 

Dey    of    Algiers    brought    to    terms    by    the 

President  and,  230 
sails  for  United  States,  230 
Decatur  succeeds  Hull  in  command  of,  231 

Epervier,  THE 

American  sloop-of-war  of  eighteen  guns,  473 
in  Decatur's  squadron  against  Algiers,  473 
Downes  commander  of,  477 
attacks  the  Mashouda,  477 
captures  the  Mashouda,  477 
leaves  Straits  of  Gibraltar  and  is  never  heard 
of  again,  483 

ERIE,    BATTLE   OF   LAKE,   see  PERRY, 
OLIVER  HAZARD 

ERIE,  LAKE 

preparations  made  to  put  a  fleet  on,  342 

of  great  strategic  importance,  342 

Perry's  victory  gives  Americans  control  of,  349 

British  squadron  of  six  vessels  controls,  4^5 

Perry  arrives  at.  455 

ERSKINE,  DAVID  MONTAGUE 

succeeds  Merry,  290 

Madison  annuls  embargo  on  promises  of,  311 
Canning  repudiates  promises  of,  311 
Canning  recalls,  311 

Essex,  THE 

American  frigate  of  forty-six  guns,  228 

sails  for  Mediterranean,  228-229 

capturing  British  ship  Alert,  picture  of,  325 

captures  the  Alert,  327-328 

Porter  commander  of,  466 

cruises  in  Pacific,  466 

destroys  British  commerce  in  Pacific,  466 

cooped  up  in  Valparaiso  harbor,  466 

attacked  by  Phoebe  and  Cherub,  466 

forced  to  surrender,  466 

and  prizes  at  Bay  of  Tumbez,  picture  of,  466 

at  Nookaheevah,  picture  of,  466 

offering  battle  to  Phoebe,  picture  of,  468 

fighting  Phoebe  and  Cherub,  picture  of,  469 


508 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


EUSTIS,  WILLIAM 

secretary  of  war,  345 
resigns,  345 

Armstrong  succeeds,  345 
portrait  of,  362 

Experiment,  THE 

capture  of  a  frigate  by,  picture,  218 
wins  fame  in  war  with  France,  222 


FAIRFAX,  THOMAS,  SIXTH  BARON 

Washington  is  in  the  employ  of,  when  Franklin 
suggests  his  Albany  plan,  160 

FALCON,  GORDON 

commander  of  Cyane,  470 
surrenders  to  Stewart,  470 

FEDERALISTS 

political  party  led  by  Hamilton,  171 
Madison  leaves,  for  Republicans,  171 
X  Y  Z  dispatches  restore,  to  power,  202 
pass  alien  and  sedition  laws,  203 
alien  and  sedition  laws  are  the  undoing  of,  203 
cry  out  against  purchase  of  Louisiana,  270 
opposed  to  war  with  England,  315 
Hartford  Convention  composed  of,  412 

Finch,  THE 

British  sloop-of-war  in  Downie's  squadron,  384 

attacks  the  Ticonderoga,  386 

disabled  by  Ticonderoga,  and  strikes,  387 

Firefly,  THE 

American  brig-of-war  of  twelve  guns,  473 
in  Decatur's  squadron  against  Algiers,  473 
puts  back,  473 

Flambeau,  THE 

American  brig-of-war  of  twelve  guns,  473 
in  Decatur's  squadron  against  Algiers,  473 
chases  strange  sail  in  Mediterranean,  474 

FLORIDA 

Spanish  province,  399 

Jackson   in,   399 

Pensacola,  captured  by  Jackson,  399 

FORT  AMHERSTBURG,  ONTARIO 

Hull  marches  against,  315 

FORT  DEARBORN,  see  CHICAGO 
FORT  ERIE,  ONTARIO 

Brown  to  march  on,  353 

Brown  takes,  353 

British  attack  upon,  repulsed,  382 

Izard  ordered  to  join  Brown  at,  383 

FORT  MCHENRY,  MARYLAND 

defends  Baltimore  from  British  naval  attack, 

382 
Key  writes  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner"  on 

successful  defense  of,  382 
picture  of,  382 

FORT  MIMMS,  ALABAMA 

description  of  massacre  at,  398 
massacre  at,  picture  of,  401 


FORT  WASHINGTON 

Harmar  sets  out  from,  to  punish  Indians,  182 
Saint  Clair  retreats  to,  184 

FORT  WAYNE,  INDIANA 

site  of  old,  picture,  194 
Anthony  Wayne  founds,  196 

FRANCE 

abuses  United  States  in  matter  of  trade  rights, 

172 

beheads  her  king,  187 
blood  and  terror  reign  in,  188 
French    republic    finds    partisan    in    United 

States,  188 

declares  war  against  England,  188 
difficulties  arise  between,  and  United  States, 

201 

United  States  prepares  for  war  with,  202 
United  States  is  virtually  at  war  with,  212 
Dey  of  Algiers  makes  treaty  with,  226-227 
Spain  transfers  Louisiana  to,  269 
Jefferson  purchases  Louisiana  from,  269 
preys  on  American  commerce,  310-311 

FRANKFORT,  KENTUCKY 

the  old  capitol  at,  picture  of,  135 
Kentucky  River  at,  picture  of,  139 
Western  World  founded  at,  292 

FRANKLIN,  BENJAMIN 

concludes  treaty  of  peace,  21 

peace  negotiations  of,  a  triumph  of  diplomacy, 

44 

portrait  of,  145 

tomb  of,  at  Philadelphia,  picture,  155 
portrait  of,  at  age  of  eighty-four,  158 
urges  delegates  to  sign  Constitution,  159 
reminds   convention  delegates  of  his  Albany 

plan,  159—160 

sees  aim  of  his  life  fulfilled,  160 
Albany  plan  of,  the  first  complete  outline  of  a 

Federal  constitution,  160 

FRANKLIN,  STATE  OF 

free  state  called,  established  in  North  Carolina 

73 
Sevier  made  president  of,  73 

FRANKLIN,  WILLIAM  TEMPLE 

grandson  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  22 
secretary  of  American  Peace  Commission,  22 

FRAUNCES'S  TAVERN,  see  NEW  YORK 

CITY 
FRENCH  REVOLUTION 

has  effect  on  American  national  affairs,  187 
Hamilton  distrusts  and  fears,  188 
extravagances  following,  separate  France  from 
United  States.  197 

Frolic,  THE 

British  sloop-of-war,  338 
Wasp  captures,  338 

FULTON,  ROBERT 

portrait  of,  303 

Livingston  interested  in  invention  of,  303 

steamboat  invented  by,  makes  trip  up  Hudson, 

303 
tomb  of,  in  Trinity  churchyard,  New  York, 

picture,  305 


INDEX 


509 


GAINES,  EDMUND  PENDLETON 

arrests  Burr,  299 

Madison  appoints  brigadier-general,  345 
man  of  ability,  351 
GALLATIN,  ALBERT 

peace  commissioner  at  Ghent,  423 

GALLATIN  RIVER 

Lewis  and  Clark  find  and  name,  280 

GATES,  GENERAL  HORATIO 

defeat  at  Camden  throws,  into  obscurity,  23,  28 

returns  to  army,  23 

starts  intrigue,  23,  28 

portrait  of,  23 

Schuyler  the  victim  of,  31 

Washington  appoints,  to  preside  at  meeting  of 

officers  and  men,  34 
intrigue  of,  baffled,  36 
GENET,  CITIZEN  EDMOND  CHARLES 

envoy  of  French  Republic,  188 

sent  to  gain  aid  for  France  against  England, 

188 

blunders,  191 

seizes  British  vessels  in  American  waters,  191 
received  coldly  by  Washington,  191 
Jefferson's  attitude  toward,  cordial,  191 
attempts  to  discredit  Washington,  191 
violates  amity,  191 

American  sentiment  turns  against,  191 
France  recalls,  191 
portrait  of,  192 
fears  to  return  to  France,  192 
settles  in  New  York,  192 
marries  daughter  of  Governor  Clinton,  192 

GEORGE  II 

Franklin  suggests  his  Albany  plan  in  the  days 
of,  1 60 

GEORGE  III 

Washington  declares  for  neutrality  in  war 
between  France  and,  188 

GEORGETOWN,  DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA 

Madison  and  cabinet  flee  to,  375 
valuables  from  White  House  taken  to,  375 
George  Washington,  THE 
sails  for  Algiers,  324 

GEORGIA 

disregards  commercial  conference  at  Anna 
polis,  79 

insists  that  trade  in  African  slaves  be  con 
tinued,  158 

ratifies  the  Constitution,  165 

Eli  Whitney  goes  to,  199 

GERRY,  ELBRIDGE 

refuses  to  sign  Constitution,  159 

home  of,  at  Marblehead,  picture  of,  159 

portrait  of,  160 

GHENT,BELGIUM 

treaty  of  peace  signed  at.  421,  423 
American  commissioners  at,  423 
picture  of,  423 

GIBBS,  SIR  GEORGE 

succeeds  Pakenham  in  command  of  British 

attack  at  New  Orleans,  408 
killed,  408 


GIBRALTAR 

Decatur  meets  Bainbridge  and  his  squadron  at, 
484 

GRAHAM,  JOHN 

sent  South  to  warn  governors  against  Burr,  293 

GRAND  PORTE  or  CONSTANTINOPLE 

Dey  of  Algiers  under  tribute  to,  226 

Dey  offends,  226-227 

Dey  forces  Bainbridge  to  take  presents  to,  227 

demands  that  the  Dey  make  war  on  France, 

227 

GREAT  BRITAIN 

many  Tories  go  to,  41 

terms  of  treaty  of  peace  with,  44 

stands  aloof  from  United  States,  72 

great  men  of,  snub  Adams,  72 

at  war  with  Spain,  72 

sends  minister  to  America,  171 

relations  between  America  and,  none  too  good, 

i?i 
declines  to  surrender  outposts  along  frontier, 

171,  197 

is   believed   to   have   incited   Indians  against 

settlers,  172 
abuses  United  States  in  matter  of  trade  rights, 

172,  308 

French  republic  declares  war  against,  188 
maintains  that  United  States  failed  to  live  up 

to  treaty  of  Paris,  197 
Jay  makes  treaty  with,  200 
encourages  piracy  of  Barbary  States,  225 
Turkey  and,  at  war  with  Napoleon  in  Egypt, 

227 

right  of  search  enforced  by,  308-309 
United  States  declares  war  against,  312 
revokes  principal -cause  pf  rupture  too  late,  315 
blockades  entire  American  coast,  350 
navy   of,   unaffected   by   losses   inflicted   by 

America,  350 

freed  from  dread  of  Napoleon,  351 
able  to  turn  attention  to  America,  351 
signs  treaty  of  peace  with  United  States,  421, 

423 

GREAT  LAKES,  THE 

England  gives  up  country  south  of,  44 
American  fleets  have  control  of,  349 

GREENE,  NATHANAEL 

ruins  of  mansion  ot,  near  Savannah,  Georgia, 

picture,  197 

Eli  Whitney  lives  on  estate  of,  199 
tomb  of,  Savannah,  Georgia,  picture,  201 
old  house  of  Washington  Greene  on  estate  of, 

picture,  209 

GREEN  MOUNTAINS 

New  York  and  New  Hampshire  quarrel  for,  71 
Guerriere,  THE 

British  frigate  of  thirty-eight  guns,  439 

overhauls  American  brig  Spitfire  on  May  n, 
1811,  439 

impresses  John  Deguy,  American  citizen, 
from  Spitfire,  439 

under  command  of  James  Richard  Dacres,  440 

oft  New  Jersey  coast,  440 

espies  strange  sail,  440 

strange  sail  espied  by,  proves  to  be  Con 
stitution,  441 

pursues  Constitution,  which  escapes,  441 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Gucrriere,  THE —  continued 
in  Halifax,  441 
meets  Constitution,  441 
fights  Constitution,  441-444 
surrenders  to  Constitution,  319,  445 
capture  of,  by  Constitution,  picture,  443 
blown  up,  446 

Guerriere,  THE 

American  frigate  of  forty-four  guns,  473 
Decatur's  flag-ship  in  squadron  against  Algiers, 
473 

H 

HAMILTON,  ALEXANDER 

denies  legality  of  trespass  act,  51 

wins  decision  for  Tory  in  case  of  Rutgers  vs. 

Waddington,  51 
great  writer  of  pamphlets,  53 
writes  reply  to  attack  upon  him,  53 
attitude  of,  toward  Tories  makes  enemies,  51- 

52 

wins  many  to  his  point  of  view,  53 
portrait  of,  63 

the  Grange,  New  York  home  of,  picture,  64 
three    survivors    of    original     thirteen    trees 

planted  by,  near  the  Grange,  picture,  65 
draws  up  address,  79 
views   of,   concerning  government   of   States 

83-86 

sole  rival  of  Aaron  Burr,  88 
opposes  New  Jersey  plan,  157 
introduces  plan  for  forming  of  Constitution, 

157 

not  wholly  satisfied  with  the  Constitution,  99 
goes  into  fight  defending  Constitution,  99 
secures  adoption  of  the  Constitution  in  New 

York,  100,  101,  166 
secures  advice  of  Madison,  101 
writes     "Federalist"     papers,     assisted     by 

Madison  and  Jay,  101,  166-167 
present  at  Washington's  inauguration,  120 
Washington  selects,  as  secretary  of  treasury, 

1 68 

does  great  constructive  work,  168 
introduces  wise  financial  system,  168 
and  Jefferson  make  a  bargain,  168-170 
forms  a  national  bank,  171 
Federalists  led  by,  171 
house  of,  in  Philadelphia,  picture,  183 
Congress  blames,  and  Knox  for  Indian  dis 
aster,  184 

centralization  policies  of,  triumphant,  187 
does  not  take  opportunities  to  grow  rich,  187 
distrusts  and   fears   French   Revolution,    188 
Jefferson  falls  into  quarrel  with,  191 
and  Burr  bitter  enemies,  262 
Burr  kills,  in  duel,  262 

spot  where,  fell  at  Weehawken,  picture  of,  262 
duel  between  Burr  and,  picture  of,  263 
portrait  of,  266 
tomb  of,  in  Trinity  Churchyard,  New  York, 

picture,  267 

HAMILTON,  PAUL 

brings  news  of  the  capture  of  the  Macedonian 

by  the  United  States,  331 
lays  flag  from  Macedonian  at  Dolly  Madison's 

feet,  332 
leaves  navy  department,  345 


HAMMIDA,  RAIS 

admiral  of  Algiers,  473 

navy  of,  473 

pursued  by  Decatur,  474 

attacked  by  Americans,  474-477 

killed  by  American  cannon  ball,  477 

HAMMOND,  AUGUST  GEORGE 

first  minister  to  America  from  Great  Britain. 
171 

HAMPTON,  WADE 

American  general  of  ability,  344 
marches  to  meet  Wilkinson,  344 
Wilkinson  fails  to  join,  344 
resigns,  344 

HANCOCK,  JOHN 

the  grave  of,  picture,  83 

elected  governor  of  Massachusetts,  85 

HARDIN,  COLONEL  JOHN 

junior  officer  to  Harmar,  182 

has  disastrous  encounters  with  Indians,   182 

HARMAR,  JOSIAH 

American  general,  182 
goes  to  subdue  Indians,  182 
discouraged  because  of  raw  troops,  182 

HARRISON,  BENJAMIN 

opposes  Constitution,  165 

HARRISON,  WILLIAM  HENRY 

American  general,  341 

succeeds  General  Hull,  341 

wipes  out  the  Prophet  and  his  band,  341 

Tecumseh  annihilates  advance  force  of,  341 

birthplace  of,  at  Berkeley,  Virginia,  picture 

342 

Perry  sends  message  to,  343 
defeats  Proctor  and  Tecumseh,  343 
portrait  of,  343 

HARROD,  JAMES 

builds  first  log  cabin  in  Kentucky,  95 

HARRODSBURG,  KENTUCKY 

the  east  side  of  Main  Street,  picture,  104 
the  west  side  of  Main  Street,  picture,  105 
Boone's  Cave,  four  miles  east  of,  picture,  144 

HARTFORD  CONVENTION,  THE 

composed  of  Federalists,  412 

constituent  members  of,  412 

deliberations  kept  secret,  412 

convenes  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  412 

hall  in  which,  was  held,  picture  of,  413 

draws  up  report,  415 

sends  committee  to  Washington,  415,  417 

declaration    of    peace    renders     committee's 

errand  futile,  421 
committee  leaves  Washington,  421 

HENRY,  PATRICK 

portrait  of,  96 

Red  Top,  at  one  time  home  of,  picture,  97 

opposes  Constitution,  100,  165 

HICKORY  GROUND,  GEORGIA 

at  confluence  of  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa  Rivers, 

398-399 

seat  of  warlike  Creeks,  399 
Jackson  dictates  terms  of  peace  to  Creeks  at, 

399 

picture  of,  400 
plantation  scene  near,  picture,  402 


INDEX 


Hornet,  THE 

American  sloop-of-war,  338 
captures  the  Peacock,  338 

HORSE-SHOE  BEND,  ALABAMA 

on  Tallapoosa  River,  399 

picture  of,  399 

Jackson  defeats  Creeks  at,  399 

HOUSTON,  SAMUEL 

with  Jackson  in  Indian  war,  398 

HULL,  ISAAC 

in  command  of  the  Sally,  222 

captures  the  Sandwich,  222 

Decatur  succeeds  in  command  of  the  Enter 
prise,  231 

refuses  Hamet  Karamauli  ammunition,  247 

portrait  of,  438 

commander  of  Constitution,  441 

pursued  by  British  squadron,  441 

escapes  by  shrewd  Yankee  trick,  441 

comes  upon  Guerriere,  441 

fights  and  conquers  Guerriere,  319,  320,  441- 
445 

asks  Dacres  to  pay  bet,  445 

HULL,  WILLIAM 

American  general,  315 

sets  out  from  Detroit,  315 

plans    to    march    against    Maiden   and    Fort 

Amherstburg,  315 

meets  with  unexpected  opposition,  315 
returns  to  Detroit,  315 
surrenders  to  Brock,  316 
tried  on  charge  of  treason,  cowardice,  and  in- 

competency,  316 
sentenced  to  be  shot,  316 
pardoned  by  Madison,  316 
vindicated  by  modern  military  critics,  316 
portrait  of,  317 
surrender  of,  at  Detroit,  picture,  318 


INDIANS 

English     commandant     at     Detroit     incites, 

against  settlers,  182 
Americans  have  disastrous  encounter  with,  on 

Maumee  River   182 
Saint  Clair  takes  the  field  against,  182 
defeat  Americans  on  upper  Wabash,  183 
massacre  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn,  328 

Insurgente,  THE 

the  Constellation  capturing,  picture  of,  213 
encounter  of  the  Constellation  and,  214,  217- 
218 

Intrepid,  THE 

Mastico  rechristened,  243 
made  into  a  fireboat,  243 
blown  up  in  attempt  to  fire  Tripolitan  fleet,  244 

ISLE  SAINT  MICHEL,  NEW  YORK 

resting  place  of  soldiers  and  marines  killed  at 
Plattsburg  Bay  on,  picture  of,  392 

IZARD,  GEORGE 

Madison  appoints  major-general,  345 
man  of  ability,  351 

to  move  up  Lake  Champlain,  through  Platts 
burg,  and  so  to  Montreal,  352 
ordered  from  Plattsburg,  383 


JACKSON,  ANDREW 

Burr  calls  on,  263 

portiait  of,  292 

Burr  wins  confidence  of,  292 

Jefferson  asks  aid  of,  in  intercepting  con 
spirators,  296 

Burr  explains  matters  to,  296 

allows  Burr  to  leave,  296 

portrait  of,  after  Vanderlyn,  395 

at  Pensacola,  picture  of,  396 

receives  word  of  British  landing,  396 

head  of  forces  at  New  Orleans,  397 

goes  to  Nashville  in  early  manhood,  397 

leaves  North  Carolina,  397 

monument  on  spot  of  birthplace  of,  picture,  397 

father   of,   an   Irish   immigrant,   398 

posthumous  child,  398 

mother  and  elder  brother  die  during  Revolu 
tionary  War,  398 

bears  man's  part  in  Revolution,  398 

marries  Mrs.  Rachel  Robards,  398 

believed  her  to  have  divorced  former  husband, 
398 

discovers  mistake  and  has  marriage  ceremony 
repeated,  398 

facts  of  marriage  wilfully  perverted  by  enemies, 
398 

fights  many  duels,  398 

life  saved  from  bullet  by  locket  with  wife's 
picture,  398 

rises  to  eminence  in  Tennessee,  398 

major-general  of  State  militia,  398 

raises  force  of  2500  sharpshooters,  398 

federal  authorities  do  not  accept  services  of, 
398 

hears  of  massacre  at  Fort  Minims,  398 

fights  duel  with  Benton,  398 

rises  from  bed  of  illness,  398 

hunts  marauding  Indians  through  Georgia,  398 

Crockett  and  Houston  with,  398 

reaches  the  Hickory  Ground,  398 

defeats  Creeks  at  Horse-Shoe  Bend,  399 

dictates  terms  of  peace  to  Creeks,  399 

occupies  Mobile,  399 

captures  Pensacola  against  orders,  399 

returns  to  New  Orleans,  399 

finds  city  unprepared  for  defense,  399 

acts  upon  British  landing,  390 

sends  for  army  from  Baton  Rouge  and  Ala 
bama,  399 

makes  requisitions  on  surrounding  States,  399 

issues  proclamation,  399 

proclaims  martial  law,  400 

receives  reinforcements,  400 

marches  on  British  camp,  401 

swears  British  shall  not  sleep  on  American 
soil,  402 

attacks  British  right  and  center,  402 

drives  British  back,  403 

builds  line  of  defense,  403 

description  of  earthworks  of,  403 

Pakenham  opens  cannon  fire  on,  404 

silences  British  guns  twice,  404 

drives  British  back  with  heavy  loss,  404-408 

utterly  defeats  invading  army,  408 

unfinished  monument  to,  at  New  Orleans, 
picture  of,  418 


512 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


JACKSON,  ANDREW  —  continued 

spot  where,  and  staff  stood  during,  battle  of 

New  Orleans,  picture  of,  422 
Java,  THE 

British  frigate,  338 
Constitution  captures,  338 

JAR  vis,  JAMES  C. 

midshipman  on  the  Constellation,  220 
lost  in  engagement  between  Constellation  and 
Vengeance,  220 

JAY,  JOHN 

concludes  treaty  of  Paris,  21 

peace  negotiations  of,  a  triumph  of  diplomacy, 

44 

fails  to  get  commercial  concessions,  44 
negotiates  treaty  with  Spain,  72 
portrait  of,  94 

helps  Hamilton  write  "Federalist"  papers,  101 
makes  unsatisfactory  treaty  with  England,  200 
charged  with  treason,  200 

JEFFERSON,  THOMAS 

desk  of,  while  secretary  of  state,  picture,  122 

portrait  of,  161 

minister  to  France,  168 

Washington  selects,  as  secretary  of  state,  168 

Hamilton  and,  make  a  bargain,  168-170 

Republicans  led  by,  171 

gains  popularity  for  party  by  favoring  French 

Republic,  188 
Cordial  to  Genet,  191 
falls  into  quarrel  with  Hamilton,  191 
tie  between  Burr  and,  in  electoral  vote  for 

presidency,  259 
persuades   Randolph   to   bring   impeachment 

proceedings  against  Chase,  263 
Monticello,  home  of,  picture,  261 
purchases  Louisiana  from  France,  268 
purchase  of  Louisiana  most  important  act  of, 

during  presidency,  268,  270 
Federalists    cry    out    against,    for    Louisiana 

purchase,  270 

exceeds  constitutional  powers,  271 
rumors  of  Burr's  conspiracy  reach,  289,  291 
delays  action  against  Burr's  conspiracy,  293 
Wilkinson  informs,  of  Burr's  plans,  295 
sends  proclamation  to  governors  to  intercept 

conspirator,  296 

starts  investigation  of  Burr's  plot,  294 
wrath  of,  against  Burr  leads  to  indiscretions, 

300 
induces  Congress  to  pass  embargo,  310 

JEFFERSON  RIVER 

Lewis  and  Clark  find  and  name,  280 

JONES,  JACOB 

captain  of  the  Frolic,  232 
taken  prisoner  in  Tripoli,  232 
portrait  of,  333 
in  command  of  the  Wasp,  338 

JONES,  WILLIAM 

succeeds  Hamilton  in  navy  department,  345   . 

37i 

meets  Winder  at  Old  Fields,  371 
retreats  to  Washington,  372 

JOSEPHINE 

Empress  of  the  French,  349 
birthplace  of,  picture,  349 


Jo  SEPHINE — cont  inued 
Napoleon's  farewell  to,  picture,  350 
Napoleon  divorces,  351 

JUMEL,  MADAM  ELIZA  B. 

Burr  marries,  301 


K 

KARAMAULI,  HAMET 

brother  of  Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  247 

pretender  to  throne  of  Tripoli,  247 

enters  into  intrigue  with  William  Eaton,  247 

Hull  refuses,  ammunition,  247 

takes  Derne  with  assistance  of  Americans,  247 

KARAMAULI,  JUSSUF 

Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  248 

frightened  into  disposition  for  peace,  248 

signs  treaty  with  United  States,  248 

KENTUCKY 

settlers  of,  complain  to  Congress  concerning 

transportation,  72 
threatens  to  revolt,  73 

Daniel  Boone  when  he  first  beheld,  picture,  137 
becomes  a  State,  143 
Boone  buried  in,  143 
settled    by  emigrants  from  the  Carolinas  and 

Virginia,  172 
passes  resolutions  against  alien  and  sedition 

laws,  203 

volunteers  from,  at  New  Orleans,  397,  404 
Adair  leads  forces  from,  404 

KEY,  FRANCIS  SCOTT 

on  British  sloop-of-war  during  bombardment 

of  Fort  McHenry,  382 
writes  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner"  after 

successful   repulse  of  British  naval   attack 

on  Fort  McHenry,  382 
portrait  of,  382 

KING,  RUFUS 

maintains  that  States  should  disregard  appeal 
to  convene,  79 

Congress  approves  views  of,  80 

reconciles  Congress  to  meeting  of  commis 
sioners,  8 1 

KINGSTON,  ONTARIO 

British  at,  454 

KNOX,  HENRY 

American  general,  43 

idea  of,  leads  to  formation  of  Order  of  Cin 
cinnati,  43 

Washington  bids,  farewell,  49 
present  at  Washington's  inauguration,  1 10 
Washington  selects,  as  secretary  ofc  war,   168 
Congress   blames,  and   Hamilton  for  Indian 
disaster,  184 


LAFITTE,  JEAN 

helps    Jackson   against    the    British   at    New 
Orleans,  400 

LAFITTE,  PIERRE 

brings   his   pirates   to   help  Jackson  at   New 
Orleans,  400 


INDEX 


LAKE  BORGNE,  LOUISIANA 

British  reach,  399 

British  destroy   American  gunboats  on,   399 

LAKE  CHAMPLAIN 
Izard  to  move  up,  352 

LANSING,  JOHN 

portrait  of,  85 

sent  as  delegate  to  convention  of  States,  86 
leaves    convention    in    disgust    before    Con 
stitution  is  ready  to  sign,  159 

LAW,  LIEUTENANT 

with  Decatur  at  burning  of  the  Philadelphia, 
238 

LAWRENCE,  JAMES 

second  in  command  at  burning  of  Philadelphia, 

233 

birthplace  of,  picture,  335 
portrait  of,  336 

captures  the  brig  Peacock,  338 
commands  the  Chesapeake  in  engagement  with 

Shannon,  341 
killed,  341 
Perry's   flag-ship,   the  Lawrence,  bears   dying 

words  of,  343 

Lawrence,  THE 

Perry's  flag-ship,  458 

engages  British  squadron,  343,  458 

disabled,  343,  458 

Perry  leaves,  458 

strikes,  461 

flies  flag  again,  461 

British  surrender  to  Perry  on,  461-462 

LAURENS,  HENRY 

concludes  treaty  of  peace,  21 

Leander,  THE 

British  frigate  of  fifty  guns,  472 
Collier  commander  of,  472 
pursues  American  squadron,  472 
recaptures  Levant  at  Port  Praya,  472 

LEE,  CHARLES 

takes  part  in  Burr's  trial,  300 

LEE,  HENRY 

"Light  Horse  Harry,"  portrait  of,  162 
grave   of,   Dungeness,   Georgia,   picture,    165 
a  champion  of  the  Union  in  Virginia  conven 
tion,  1 66 

LEE,  RICHARD  HENRY 

opposes  Constitution,  165 
Leopard,  THE 

fires  upon  the  Chesapeake,  309 

Chesapeake  unprepared  and  surrenders  to,  309 
Levant,  THE 

meets  the  Constitution,  468 

fights  the  Constitution,  469-470 

surrenders  to  Stewart,  426,  470 

sloop-of-war  of  twenty-one  guns,  470 

Douglas  commander  of,  470 

pursued  by  British  squadron,  472 

flees  to  Port  Praya,  472 

recaptured  there,  472 

LEWIS,  MERI WETHER 

portrait  of,  278 

trail-maker  to  the  far  Northwest,  278 


LEWIS,  MERIWETHER  —  continued 

Clark  and,   placed  at  head  of  exploring  ex 
pedition,  280 

expedition  of,  sets  out  from  Saint  Louis,  280 
explorations,  280-283 
returns  to  Saint  Louis,  283 

LINCOLN,  BENJAMIN 

American  general,  75 
sent  to  stop  Shays's  uprising,  75 
Linnet,  THE 

British  sloop-of-war  in  Downie's  squadron.  384 
forces  the  Eagle  to  slip  anchor,  386 
rakes  the  Saratoga,  386 
Saratoga  conquers,  387 

Little  Belt,  THE 

fight  between  the  President  and,  312 

LITTLE,  GEORGE 

captain  of  the  Boston,  221 
captures  the  Berceau,  221 

LIVINGSTON,  ROBERT  R. 

portraits  of,  119,  304 

with  Washington  at  his  inauguration,  119 

administers  the  oath  of  office,  120 

bas-relief    showing     Monroe,     and     Marbois 

signing  Louisiana  Purchase  Treaty,  picture 

of,  270 

goes  to  France  as  minister,  303 
interested  in  steam  navigation,  303 
tries  to  interest  Napoleon  in  Fulton,  303 

Louis  XVI 

recognizes  Order  of  Cincinnati,  43 
portrait  of,  187 
beheaded,  187 

LOUISIANA 

threatens  peace  while  in  hands  of  Spain,  268 
Jefferson  purchases  from  France,  268 
extent  of  territory  called,  268 
Spain  transfers,  to  France,  269 
desk  in  Cabildo  at  New  Orleans,  on  which, 
purchase  treaty  was  signed,  picture  of,  270 
Federalists  cry  out  against  purchase  of,  270 
celebrating  the,  purchase,  picture,  272 
British  fleet  off  coast  of,  397 
volunteers  from,  at  New  Orleans,  397 
Louisiana,  THE 
river  gunboat  at  New  Orleans,  397 
destroyed  by  British  fire,  403 

LUNDY'S  LANE,  ONTARIO 

battle  of,  picture,  355 

Brown  and  Scott  attack  Riall  and  Drummond 

at,  363-365 

Brown  retires  to  camp  from,  365 
British  hold  possession  of  battlefield,  365 
soldiers'  monument  on  battlefield  of,  picture, 

365 

M 

MACDONOUGH,  THOMAS 

crushes  Downie  on  Lake  Champlahij  383 

portrait  of,  383 

Downie  sails  to  engage,  383 

victory  of,  pictures,  384,  385 

Saratoga  flag-ship  of,  385 

takes  up  favorable  position,  384 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


MACDONOUGH,  THOMAS  —  continued 

attacked  by  Confiance,  385 

forces  the  Chubb  to  strike,  386 

exposed  to  raking  fire  by  Eagle's  retirement, 

386 

has  last  gun  on  engaged  side  disabled,   386 
warps  port  battery  of  Saratoga  into  action,  387 
raked  by  Linnet  and  Confiancc  during  man 
euver,  387 

rakes  the  Confiance  and  forces  her  to  strike,  387 
conquers  the  Linnet,  387 
victory  of,  forces  Prevost  to  retreat,  387 
Macedonian,  THE 

crack  British  frigate  of  thirty-eight  guns,  452 
Garden  in  command  of,  452 
engages  United  States,  450-452 
surrenders  to  United  States,  331,  452 
convoyed  to  Newport  and  left,  453 
captured  by  United  States,  picture,  459 
blockaded  by  British  in  Newport,  465 
in  Decatur's  squadron  against  Algiers,  473 
chases  strange  sail  in  Mediterranean,  474 
takes  captured  Mashouda  to  Carthagena,  477 

MACOMB,  ALEXANDER 

Madison  appoints,  brigadier-general,  345 

a  man  of  ability,  351 

defeats  British  at  Plattsburg,  387 

MADISON,  JAMES 

portraits  of,  19,  73 
personal  descriptions  of,  76,  153 
prepares  motion  for  commercial  conference,  76 
brings  to  pass  convention  of  States,  79,  86 
not  wholly  satisfied  with  Constitution,  99 
goes  into  fight  defending  Constitution,  99 
wins  adoption  of  Constitution  in  Virginia,  100 
decision  of,  concerning  the  adoption  of  Con 
stitution,  101 

Hamilton  seeks  advice  of,  101 
helps  Hamilton  write  "Federalist"  papers,  101 
notes   of,    contain   most   complete   record   of 

Constitutional  convention,  152 
called  the  "Father  of  the  Constitution,"  153 
chief  author  of  Constitution,  154 
opposes  New  Jersey  plan,  157 
chief  champion  of  the  Union  in  Virginia,  166 
leaves  Federalists  for  Republicans,  171 
endeavors  to  make  treaty  with  France,  201 
secretary  of  state,  256 
succeeds  Jefferson  as  President,  307 
elected  President  a  second  time,  307 
advocates  ninety-day  embargo  and  war  with 

England,  312 
changes    his    opinion    regarding    war    with 

France,  312 
annuls  embargo,  311 

war  with  England  contrary  to  judgment  of,  311 
disconcerted  by  lack  of  harmony  in  nation,  351 
hope  of,  lies  in  operations  about  Niagara,  351 
alarmed  at  British  invasion,  369 
sends  requisitions  for  militia  to  defend  Wash 
ington,  370 

goes  to  Old  Fields,  371 
writes  wife  to  be  ready  to  leave  Washington, 

372 
retires    hastily    from    Upper    Marlboro    with 

cabinet,  372 

occupies  house  at  Eighteenth  Street  and  New 
York  Avenue,  Washington,  380 


MADISON,  JAMES  —  continued 

returns  to  Washington  \\  ith  cabinet,  380 
house  occupied  by,  after  destruction  of  White 

House,  picture  of,  389 
portrait  of,  in  eighty-third  year,  412 
state  of  nation  under,  description  of,  412 
interior  view  of  Montpelier,  home  of,  492 
Montpelier,  home  of,  picture,  493 
in  the  grounds  of  Montpelier,  home  of,  picture, 

496 
enjoys  aftectionate  regard  of  countrymen,  496 

MADISON,    MRS.    DOROTHEA    PAYNE 
(DOLLY) 

wife  of  James  Madison,  256 

portrait  of,  257 

Quaker  by  birth,  315 

helps  husband  in  time  of  trouble,  315 

Hamilton  lays  flag  from  Macedonian  at  feet 
of,  332 

keeps  presence  of  mind  at  British  invasion,  369 

Smoot  House,  where,  stayed  overnight, 
picture  of,  371 

husband  writes,  to  be  ready  to  leave  Washing 
ton,  372 

packs  cabinet  papers  and  sends  them  off,  372 

has  Stuart  portrait  of  Washington  taken  from 
White  House  with  other  treasures,  375 

returns  to  meet  husband  at  White  House,  376 

bids  her  husband  farewell,  376 

MADISON  RIVER 

Lewis  and  Clark  find  and  name,  280 
Madison,  THE 

American  ship  of  twenty-four  guns  454 
built  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  New  Yor£,  454 

MAINE 

proclaimed  English  territory,  380 
MALDEN,  ONTARIO 

Hull  marches  against,  315 

MANDAN  INDIANS 

Lewis  and  Clark  spend  winter  with,  280 
MARBLEHEAD,  MASSACHUSETTS 

home  of  El  bridge  Gerry  at,  picture,  159 

MARBOIS,  FRANCOIS 

bas-relief  showing  Monroe,  Livingston  and, 
signing  Louisiana  Purchase  treaty,  picture, 
270 

MARIA  LOUISA 

Napoleon  weds,  357 
MARIE  ANTOINETTE 

Queen  of  France,  187 
guillotined,  187 

going  to  her  execution,  picture,  189 
MARIETTA,  OHIO 

governor  seizes  boats  building  at,  296 

MARSHALL,  JOHN 

champion  of  the  Union  in  Virginia  convention, 

166 

becomes  chief  justice  of  the  United  States,  166 
wins  a  place  among  the  founders  of  national 

government,  166 
portrait  of,  294 

house  of,  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  picture,  291 
Burr  on  trial  before,  299-300 

MARTINIQUE,  ISLAND  OF 

birthplace  of  Josephine  on,  picture,  349 


INDEX 


MARTIN,  LUTHER 

leaves  constitutional  convention  in  disgust,  159 
chief  counsel  for  Burr,  300 
portrait  of,  295 

MARYLAND 

fearful  of  larger  neighbors,  74 

conditions  upon  which,  consents  to  Articles  of 

Federation,  74 
delegates  from,  and  Virginia  meet  at  Mount 

Vernon,  76 

proposes  commercial  conference,  79 
ratifies  the  Constitution,  165 

MASON,  GEORGE 

refuses  to  sign  Constitution,  159 
opposes  Constitution,  165 

MASSACHUSETTS 

bitter  contest  between  merchants  and  farmers 

in,  75  . 

commissioner  from,  fails  to  go  to  Annapolis,  79 
public  opinion  finds  expression  through  town 

meetings  in,  86 
ratifies  Constitution,  99,  165 
agrees  to  prolong  slave  trade  for  twenty  years, 

158 

sends  delegates  to  Hartford  Convention,  412 
contributes  more  volunteers   than  any  other 

State,  417 
merchants  of,  at  odds  with  the  administration, 

4i7 
people  of,  not  opposed  to  the  war,  417 

Mashouda,  THE 

flag-ship  of  Algerian  navy,  474 
Decatur  pursues,  474 
Constellation  sights,  474 
Constellation  fires  upon,  474 
Guerriere  attacks,  474 
Epervier  attacks,  477 
surrenders  to  Decatur,  477 
Hammida  killed  on,  477 
Algiers  learns  fate  of,  478 

Mastico,  THE,  see  also  Intrepid,  THE 
Enterprise  captures,  233 
used  in  the  burning  of  the  Philadelphia,  233, 

239 
rechristened  the  Intrepid,  243 

MAUMEE  RIVER 

Americans    have    disastrous    encounter    with 
Indians  at  head  of,  182 

MEAD,  COWLES 

secretary  and  acting  governor  of  Mississippi, 

299 
Burr  surrenders  to,  299 

MERRY 

British  minister,  264 

friendship  of  Burr  for,  a  matter  of  notoriety, 
264 

Burr  intrigues  with,  290 

removed  by  his  King,  290 
MlCHILIMACKINAC,  MICHIGAN 

falls  into  British  hands,  328 

MIFFLIN,  GOVERNOR  THOMAS 

portrait  of,  210 

first  governor  of  Pennsylvania,  211 
issues  orders  for  extirpation  of  fever  in  Phila 
delphia,  210 


MIFFLIN,  GOVERNOR  THOMAS — cont. 

old  MifHin  mansion,  Philadelphia,  home  of, 
picture,  211 

MISSISSIPPI  RIVER 

England  gives  up  territory  as  far  west  as,  44 
dispute  concerning  navigation  of,  arises,  72 
trouble  with  Spain  concerning,  72-73 

MISSOURI 

Boone  retires  to,  143 
MISSOURI  RIVER 

Lewis  and  Clark  sail  up,  280 

MOBILE,  ALABAMA 

Jackson  in,  399 
MONROE,  JAMES 

opposes  Constitution,  165 

Jefferson  sends,  to  negotiate  Louisiana  pur 
chase,  270 

bas-relief  showing,  Livingston,  Marbois,  and, 
signing  Louisiana  purchase  treaty,  picture, 
270 

portrait  of,  367 

secretary  of  state  under  Madison,  370 

served  in  Revolutionary  War,  370 

goes  to  rendezvous  of  troops  at  the  Wood 
Yard,  370 

retires  to  Georgetown,  375 

goes  to  Virginia  with  Madison,  376 

succeeds  Armstrong  as  secretary  of  war,  381 

MONTICELLO,  VIRGINIA 

interior  of,  picture,  260 

home  of  Jefferson,  picture,  261 

entrance  to,  picture,  273 

MONTPELIER,  VIRGINIA 

interior  of,  picture,  492 

home  of  Madison,  picture  of,  493 

in  the  grounds  of,  picture,  496 

MONTREAL,  QUEBEC 

Izard  to  march  on,  352 

MOORS,  THE 

United  States  pays  enforced  tribute  to,  for 
protection  of  commerce,  211 

MORGAN,  COLONEL  GEORGE 

repulses  Burr  and  informs  Jefferson,  291 

MORRIS,  GOUVERNEUR 

portrait  of,  152 

makes  final  draft  of  Constitution,  158 

MORRIS,  RICHARD  VALENTINE 

goes  to  Barbary  States  in  charge  of  squadron, 

230 

retired  from  command  by  Congress,  231 
Preble  succeeds,  231 
with  Decatur  at  burning  of  Philadelphia,  238 

MOUNT  RAINIER,  WASHINGTON 

picture  of,  288 

MOUNT  VERNON,  VIRGINIA 

Washington  at,  picture,  75 

delegates  from  Virginia  and  Maryland  meet  at, 
76 

Washington's  journey  from,  to  New  York  a 
triumph,  no 

old  tomb  of  Washington  at,  picture,  220 

resting  place  of  General  Washington  at,  pic 
ture,  221 

MURRAY,  CAPTAIN  ALEXANDER 

in  command  of  the  Constellation,  230 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


N 


NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE 

Turkey  and  England  at  war  with,  227 

portraits  of,  240,  269 

birthplace  of,  at  Corsica,  picture,  241 

becomes  Emperor  of  France,  270 

sells  Louisiana  to  America,  268,  270 

Livingston  tries  to  interest,  in  Fulton,  303 

all  Europe  involved  in  war  by,  310 

confiscates  American  ships,  311-312 

portrait  of,  in  1814,  348 

farewell  of,  to  Josephine,  picture,  350 

plays  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  351 

divorces  Joesphine,  351 

marries  Maria  Louisa,  351 

abdicates  throne  of  France,  350 

sent  to  Elba,  350 

signing  his  abdication,  picture  of,  353 

portrait  of,  in  1815,  425 

at  Waterloo,  picture  of,  427 

on  board  the  Bellerophon,  picture  of,  431 

prison  of,  at  Saint  Helena,  picture,  434 

burial  place  of,  at  Saint  Helena,  436 

NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE 

Jackson  practices  law  in,  when  frontier  town, 
397 

NAVY  YARD,  THE 

near  Washington,  371 

at  mouth  of  East  Branch  of  the  Potomac,  471 

Winder  falls  back  on,  471 

unapproachable  to  British,  471 

NELSON,  HORATIO,  ADMIRAL  LORD 

opinion   of,    concerning   the    burning   of    the 

Philadelphia,  242 
portrait  of,  242 
Barclay  formerly  an  officer  under,  342 

NANTUCKET,  MASSACHUSETTS 

captured  by  British,  350 
NEWARK,  NEW  JERSEY 

birthplace  of  Burr  at,  picture,  88 

NEWBURGH,  NEW  YORK 

soldiers  encamped  at,  21 

old  Hasbrouck  Mansion  at,  picture  of,  29 

interior    of    Washington's    headquarters    at, 

picture,  32 

looking  across  the  Hudson  at,  picture,  33 
monument  on  the  site  of  the  camp  at,  picture, 

34 

incipient  anarchy  at,  stopped,  34-36,  42 
statue  of  "Mad  Anthony"  Wayne  at,  picture, 

i9S 
Newcastle,  THE 

British  frigate  of  fifty  guns,  472 
in  Collier's  squadron,  472 
pursues  American  ships,  472 
recaptures  Levant  at  Port  Pray  a,  472 

NEW  ENGLAND,    see    also    HARTFORD 
CONVENTION 

threatens  to  secede,  73 

refuses  to  permit  slave  trade  to  be  con 
stitutional,  158 

compromise  made  between,  and  Southern 
States  on  Constitution,  158 

towns  of,  crippled  by  embargo,  310 


NEW  ENGLAND  —  continued 

refuses  to  support  government  in  war  with 

England,  315 
anxious  for  peace,  351 
NEWFOUNDLAND,  BANKS  OF 

American  fishermen  accorded  privileges  of,  44 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

New  York  and,  quarrel  for  Green  Mountains, 

7i 
commissioner   appointed   by,    fails    to   go    to 

Annapolis,  79 
adopts  Constitution,  100 
agrees  to  prolong  slave  trade  for  twenty  years, 

158 
ninth  State  to  ratify  the  Constitution,  165-166 

NEW  JERSEY 

sends  commissioner  to  Annapolis,  79 
ratifies  the  Constitution,  165 

NEW  ORLEANS 

the    only    outlet    for    settlers    in    Mississippi 

Valley,  269 
desk  at,  on  which  Louisiana  Purchase  treaty 

was  signed,  picture  of,  270 
early,  picture  of,  293 
picture  of,  394 

learns  of  British  fleet  off  Louisiana  coast,  397 
Jackson  arrives  at,  399 
unprepared  for  defense,  399 
British  reach  Lake  Borgne  near,  399 
Jackson  begins  defense,  399 
Coffee,  Carroll,  and  Lafitte  come  to  aid  of,  400 
Creoles  and  French  from,  volunteer,  400 
unfinished  monument  to  Jackson  at,  picture  of, 

418 
trees  under  which  Pakenham  died  at,  picture 

of,  420 

NEWPORT,  RHODE  ISLAND 

Macedonian  convoyed  to,  by  United  States,  453 
statue  of  Perry  at,  picture  of.  454 
mansion  and  statue  of  Perry  at,  picture  of,  455 
Macedonian  blockaded  at,  465 
Constellation  at,  picture  of,  465 

NEW  YORK  CITY 

entrance  of  American  army  into,  picture,  43 
Washington's     farewell     to     his     officers     at 

Fraunces's  Tavern,  picture,  45 
Carleton  evacuates,  45 
paralyzed  condition  of,  49 
tablet  on  Fraunces's  Tavern,  picture  of,  52 
Fraunces  's  Tavern  as  restored  by  the  Sons  of 

Revolution,  picture,  53 
the  long  room  in  Fraunces's  Tavern,  picture, 

55 

Fraunces's  Tavern,  picture  of,  58  . 

the  old  city  hall,  picture  of,  59 
Washington  Arch  in,  picture  of,  61 
Washington's   reception    in,    picture    of,    107 
the  old  city  hall  in  Wall  Street,  picture,  in 
the  sub-treasury  at  Wall  and  Nassau  Streets, 

picture  of,  114 

old  Van  Cortlandt  mansion,  where  Washing 
ton  was  entertained,  picture  of,  115 
Van  Cortlandt  mansion,  to-day,  picture  of,  116 
from  Bedloe's  Island,  picture  of,  117 
old    Federal    Hall,    where    Washington    was 

inaugurated,  picture  of,  118 
Washington's    pew   in   Saint   Paul's    Chapel 

picture  of,  121 


INDEX 


NEW  YORK  CITY  —  continued 
Saint  Paul's  Chapel,  picture  of,  123 
first  presidential  mansion,  No.  i  Cherry 

Street,  picture  of,  126 
picture  of,  132 
Alexander      Hamilton's      tomb      in     Trinity 

Churchyard,  picture  of,  267 
Jumel  mansion,  picture  of,  290 
Banner's  Hotel,  in  which  Burr  died,   picture 

of,  301 

tomb  of  Robert  Fulton  in,  picture,  305 
tomb     of     Lawrence,     Trinity     Churchyard, 

picture,  338 

NEW  YORK  STATE 

return  of  Tories  prohibited  in,  41-42 

trespass  act  passed  in,  42 

and     New     Hampshire    quarrel     for     Green 

Mountains,  71 

sends  commissioner  to  Annapolis,  79 
grows  strong  and  rich,  80,  86 
impost  amendment  defeated  in  assembly  of,  80 
struggle  against  adoption  of  Constitution  in, 

100 

ratines  Constitution,  99,  167 
farmers  in,  send  supplies  to  invading  armies, 

35i 
New  York,  THE 

in  squadron  sailing  to  Barbary,  230 

NIAGARA,  NEW  YORK 

Dearborn  mobilizes  at,  328 

Scott  drills  3500  men  to  efficiency  at,  352 

Brown  joins  Scott  at,  352 

Niagara,  THE 

American  vessel  in  Perry's  squadron,  458 
Elliott  commander  of,  458 
Perry  boards,  461 

NICOLA,  COLONEL  Louis 

proposes  that  Washington  be  made  king,  28 
NOOKAHEEVAH,    WASHINGTON  ISLANDS 
Essex  and  prizes  at,  picture  of,  467 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

free  State  of  Franklin  established  in,  7  ^ 

commissioner  appointed  by,  fails  to  go  lo 
Annapolis,  79 

Rhode  Island  and,  do  not  ratify  the  Constitu 
tion,  99 

ratifies  Constitution,  167 

NORTHWEST  TERRITORY 

claimed  by  Eastern  States,  172 

settled  by  old  soldiers  under  auspices  of  Ohio 

company,  172 

Saint  Clair  made  governor  of,  182 
Americans  in  danger  of  losing,  342 
secured  to  United  States,  343 

NOVA  SCOTIA 

many  Tories  go  to,  4  i 
Franklin  asks  England  for,  44 


o 

OGDEN,  JACOB 

in  Burr's  conspiracy,  299 
case  against  dismissed,  299 
OHIO 

formerly  called  Western  Reserve,  75 
Connecticut  holds,  74,  75 


OHIO  COMPANY,  THE 

Northwest  Territory  settled  under  auspices  of. 
172 

OLD  FIELDS,  MARYLAND 

Winder  withdraws  to,  371 
President  and  cabinet  at,  371 
Ross  marches  on,  371 
Winder  withdraws  from,  371 

"OLD  IRONSIDES,"  see  Constitution,  THE 
ONTARIO,  LAKE 

preparations  made  to  put  fleet  on,  342 
Chauncey  commands  fleet  on,  4  54 
Americans  control,  455 
Ontario,  THE 

American  sloop-of-war  of  eighteen  guns,  473 
in   Decaturjs   squadron  against   Algiers,   473 

OREGON 

mountain  road  through,  picture  of,  279 

ORISKANY,  NEW  YORK 

Steuben's  rustic  house  at,  picture  of,  130 
Steuben's  grave  near,  picture  of,  131 
OTIS,  ALLYN 

chosen  secretary  of  the  senate,  1 20 

present    at    Washington's    inauguration,    120 


PACIFIC  OCEAN 

Lewis  and  Clark  find  a  way  to,  283 

PARIS,  FRANCE 

treaty  of  peace  concluded  at,  21 

PAKENHAM,  SIR  EDWARD 

brother-in-law  and  lieutenant  to  Wellington, 

397 
commands  expedition  against  New   Orleans, 

397 

reaches  Lake  Borgne,  399 
destroys  gunboats,  399 
sends  reinforcements  to  British  whose  advance 

is  attacked  by  Jackson  and  Coffee,  403 
destroys  American  gunboats  in  river,  403 
brings  up  thirty  guns  in  eight  batteries,  403 
opens  fire  and  has  guns  silenced,  404 
awaits  reinforcements,  404 
attacks  American  earthworks,  407 
forces  of,  driven  back,  408 
killed,  408 

succeeded  by  Gibbs,  408 
army  of,  utterly  routed,  408 
trees  under  which,  died,  picture  of,  420 

PATTERSON,  DANIEL  TOD 

taken  prisoner  in  Tripoli,  232 
commander  in  the  fight  before  New  Orleans, 
232-233 

PATTERSON,  WILLIAM 

submits  the  New  Jersey  plan,  157 
provisions  of  the  plan  submitted  by,  157 
Hamilton  and  Madison  oppose  plan  of,   157 
Peacock,  THE 

captured  by  the  Hornet,  338 

PENNSYLVANIA 

and   Connecticut  quarrel   for  Valley  of  Wyo 
ming,  71 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


PENNSYLVANIA  —  continued 

delegate  from,  goes  to  Mount  Vernon,  76 
sends  commissioner  to  Annapolis,  79 
second  State  to  ratify  the  Constitution,   165 
western  part  of,  in  revolt  against  excise  on 
whiskey,  198 

PENSACOLA,  FLORIDA 

Jackson  captures,  399 
PERRY,  OLIVER  HAZARD 

victory  of,  on  Lake  Erie,  picture,  2 

turns  forest  into  fleet  of  vessels,  343 

engages  two  vessels  of  enemy,  343 

sends  message  to  Harrison,  343 

victory  of,  gives  Americans  control  of  Lake 

Erie,  349 

statue  to,  at  Newport,  picture  of,  453 
passes  through  Sackett's  Harbor  on  his  way  to 

Lake  Erie,  455 
arrives  at  Presque  Isle,  455 
builds  and  launches  Lawrence  and  Niagara, 

455 

mansion  and  statue  of,  at  Newport,  picture,  455 
portrait  of,  456 
blockaded  by  Barclay,  456 
escapes  from  blockade,  456 
sails  to  Camden  with  squadron,  456 
Barclay  refuses  to  meet,  456 
descries  Barclay's  squadron,  456 
description  of  squadron  of,  457 
second  view  of  victory  of,  picture,  457 
flies  flag  on  sloop,  457 
Lawrence  flag-ship  of,  458 
engages  enemy,  458 
flag-ship  of,  disabled,  458 
leaves  Lawrence  in  small  boat,  458 
shot  strikes  small  boat  of,  458 
stuffs  coat  in  shot  hole,  458 
boards  Niagara,  461 
orders  charge,  461 
British  squadron  surrenders  to,  461-462 

PETERSHAM,  MASSACHUSETTS 

house    in   which    Shays   was    captured    near, 
picture  of,  72 

PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA 

States    urged    to   send    commissioner    to,    79 
drunken  rabble  drives  Congress  from,  42 
Washington    rides    through,     crowned    with 

laurels,  no 

Independence  Hall,  pictures  of,  147,  149 
Franklin's  tomb  in,  picture  of,  155 
old  house  on  High  Street,  occupied  by  Wash 
ington,  picture  of,  167 
room  in  which  first  Constitutional   Congress 

met  in,  picture  of,  169 
seat  of  government  transferred  to,  171 
Congress  meets  in,  171 
pulpit    and    chancel    of    Christ    Church    in, 

picture  of,  174 

Christ  Church  in,  picture  of,  174 
interior  of  Christ  Church  in,  picture  of,  175 
side  view  of  Independence  Hall,  picture,  176 
Washington's  pew  in  Christ  Church  in,  picture 

of,  179 

Hamilton's  house  in,  picture  of,  183 
holds  jubilee  at  news  of  war  between  France 

and  England,  188 
yisited  by  yellow  fever,  192,  204 


PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA  —  cont. 

old  MifHin  mansion,  picture  of,  211 
capital  of  United  States  moved  from,  274 

Philadelphia,  THE 
captured  by  Tripoli,  232 
loss  of,  picture,  232 
Decatur  taking,  picture  of,  235 
Decatur  destroys,  233-241 

Phoebe,  THE 

British  frigate,  466 

blockades  Porter  in  Valparaiso,  466 

fights  Essex,  466 

Essex  surrenders  to,  466 

Essex  offering  battle  to,  picture  of,  468 

Essex  fighting,  and  Cherub,  picture  of,  469 

PIKE'S  PEAK 

named  for   Zebulon   Montgomery   Pike,   401 
sunrise  on,  picture,  410 

PIKE,  ZEBULON  MONTGOMERY 

conducts  expedition  to  Rocky  Mountains,  401 
PINCKNEY,  CHARLES 

Washington   sends,    to   London   to   represent 

United  States,  171 
portrait  of,  172 

PITOT,  CAPTAIN 

captain  of  the  Vengeance,  221 

PLATTSBURG,  NEW  YORK 

Hampton  marches  from,  344 
Hampton  returns  to,  344 
Izard  to  march  through,  352 
Izard  ordered  from,  383 
Prevost  marches  on,  384 
on  Plattsburg  Bay,  384 
Macomb  defeats  Prevost  at,  387 

PORTER,  PETER  BUEL 

brigadier-general  under  Brown,  354 
in  advance  on  Chippewa,  354 
attacks  British  near  Chippewa  and  is  repulsed, 
357 

PORTER,  DAVID,  see  also  Essex,  THE 

taken  prisoner  in  Tripoli,  232 

career  of,  in  Pacific  waters  a  marvel,  232-234 

portrait  of,  237 

attack  of,  on  corsairs  in  harbor  of  Tripoli,  238 

captures  the  Java,  338 

portrait  of,  464 

commands  the  Essex.  466 

cruises  in  Pacific,  4466 

destroys  British  commerce  in  Pacific,  466 

cooped  up  in  Valparaiso  harbor,  466 

fights  Phoebe  and  Cherub,  466 

forced  to  surrender,  466 

PORTLAND,  OREGON 

Lewis  and  Clark  exposition  at,  picture  of,  281 

PORTSMOUTH,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

Congress  dismantled  at,  464 
Wasp  sails  from,  465 

PORT  PRAYA 

Constitution  reaches,  471 
Susan  at,  471 
Stewart  sails  from,  471 
Levant  returns  to.  472 
Levant  recaptured  at,  472 


INDEX 


POUGHKEEPSIE,  NEW  YORK 
Governor  Clinton's  house  at,  picture  of,  67 
old  Court-House  at,  picture  of,  91 

PREBLE,  CAPTAIN  EDWARD 

succeeds    Morris    in    command    of    Barbary 

squadron,  231 

conceived  plan  to  destroy  the  Philadelphia,  233 
operations  of,  about  Tripoli,  242-243 
portrait  of,  243 

Preble,  THE 

American  war  vessel  in  Macdonough's  squad 
ron,  385 

attacked  by  British  galleys,  386 
driven  back,  386 

President,  THE 
brings  Dey  of  Algiers  to  terms,  230 
sails  for  United  States,  230 
fight  between,  and  the  Little  Belt,  312 
American  frigate  of  forty-five  guns,  448 
sails  from  Boston,  448 
Rodgers  in  command  of,  448 
blockaded  in  New  York,  464 
Decatur  in  command  of,  416 
attempts  to  run  blockade,  416 
fights  the  Endymion,  416 
surrenders  to  superior  force,  416 

PREVOST,  SIR  GEORGE 

commands  expedition  on  Lake  Champlain,  383 
on  the  Sorel  River  with  army,  383 
marches  in  front  of  Plattsburg,  384 
attacks  Americans,  387 
driven  off  by  invalids  and  volunteers,  387 
retires  precipitately  to  Canada,  387 

PRINCETON,  NEW  JERSEY 

Nassau  Hall,  Princeton  University,  picture  of, 
4i 

drunken  rabble  in  Philadelphia  drives  Con 
gress  to,  42 

PROCTOR,  WILLIAM 

British  general,  343 

Harrison  defeats  Tecumseh  and,  343 

PROPHET,  THE 

brother  of  Tecumseh,  341 

and  brother  plan  to  unite  Indian  tribes,  341 

PROVOOST,  BISHOP  SAMUEL 

elected  chaplain  of  Congress,  121 
offers  prayers  after  Washington's  inauguration, 
121 

PUERTO  PLATA 

the  Sally  captures  the  Sandwich  in  harbor  of, 

222 

PRINCETON,  NEW  JERSEY 

tomb  of  Aaron  Burr  at,  picture,  302 


Q 

QUEENSTON,  ONTARIO 

battle  of,  picture,  324 

site  of  redan  battery  at,  picture,  328 

Van  Rensselaer  storms,  328 

captured  by  British,  329 

Brock  killed  at,  329 

spot  where  Brock  fell  at,  picture,  328 

Brock's  monument  at,  picture  of,  329 


QUEENSTON,  ONTARIO  —  continued 

Brown  and  Scott  follow  Riall  to,  359 
Americans  take  up  strong  position  at,  359 
Brown  waits  for  Chauncey  at,  359,  361 
Brown  leaves,  for  Chippewa,  362 

QUINCY,  MASSACHUSETTS 
Vassall  House  at,  picture  of,  205 


R 


RAISIN  RIVER 

Harrison's  advance  annihilated  by  Tecumseh 

on,  341 
disaster  at,  endangers  Northwest  Territory,  342 

RANDOLPH,  EDMUND 

fights  against  adoption  of  Constitution,    100 

portrait  of,  153 

Constitution  chiefly  built  about  plan  sub 
mitted  by, 154 

refuses  to  sign  Constitution,  159 

Edge  Hill,  home  of,  picture,  166 

Madison  wins,  from  original  opposition  to  the 
Union,  166 

Washington   selects,  as  attorney-general,  168 

takes  part  in  Burr's  trial,  300 

RANDOLPH,  JOHN 

brings  impeachment  proceedings  against 
Samuel  Chase,  263 

Reindeer,  THE 

British  war  vessel,  465 
captured  by  Wasp,  465 

REPUBLICANS 

political  party  led  by  Jefferson,  171 
Madison  leaves  Federalists  for,  171 
Jefferson   gains   popularity   for,    by   favoring 
French,  188 

RHODE  ISLAND 

commissioner  appointed  by,  fails  to  go  to 
Annapolis,  79 

continues  issuing  worthless  money,  80 

North  Carolina  and,  do  not  ratify  the  Con 
stitution,  99 

ratifies  the  Constitution,  167 

RIALL,  SIR  PHINEAS 

British  major-general  commanding  at  Chip- 

pewa,  358 

repulses  attack  of  Porter,  358 
marches  against  Scott,  358 
forces  of,  break  and  flee,  359 
driven  from  camp  at  Chippewa,  359 
army    of,    daily    augmented    by   veterans   of 

Napoleonic  wars,  359-363 
Drummond  joins,  363 

RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA 

John  Marshall's  house  at,  picture  of,  291 
Burr's  prison  in,  picture  of,  300 

RIPLEY,  ELEAZER  WHEELOCK 

brigadier-general  under  Brown,  354 
in  advance  on  Chippewa,  354 

ROCKY  HILL,  NEW  JERSEY 

Washington's  headquarters  at,  picture  of,  41 

ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 

Lewis  and  Clark  cross  twice,  283 


520 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


RODGERS,  JOHN 

in  command  of  corvette  that  goes  to  Barbary, 

230 
takes  command  of  fleet  in  Mediterranean,  247 

RODRIGUEZ  CANAL,  NEW  ORLEANS 

American  regulars  posted  behind,  401 
part  of  American  line  of  defense,  404 
Ross,  ROBERT 

British  general,  370 

lands  at  Benedict  with  invading  force,  370 

marches  to  Upper  Marlboro,  370 

appears  before  American  line  at  Old  Fields,. 

37i 
disperses  American  rabble  at  Upper  Marlboro, 

372 
dislodges  Barney  and  his  marines  at  Bladens- 

burg,  375 

marches  on  Washington,  376 
burns  Capitol  and  public  buildings,  377 
retires  from,  381 
killed  in  attack  on  Baltimore,  382 

RUSH,  RICHARD 

attorney-general  under  Madison,  371 
meets  Winder  at  Old  Fields,  371 
retires  to  Georgetown,  375 
goes  to  Virginia  with  Madison,  376 

RUSSELL,  JOHNATHAN 

peace  commissioner  at  Ghent,  423 

RUTHVEN  LODGE,  MARYLAND 

resting  place  of  Dolly  Madison  during  British 

occupation  of  Washington,  373 
picture  of,  373 


SACKETT'S  HARBOR,  NEW  YORK 

Brown  marches  from,  352 
Izard  ordered  to,  383 
Chauncey  builds  Madison  at,  454 
Perry  passes  through,  455 
picture  of,  462 

SAINT-CLAIR,     MAJOR-GENERAL 

ARTHUR 

portrait  of,  181 

made  governor  of  Northwest  Territory,   182 
takes  the  field  against  Indians,  182 
Washington  cautions,  against  Indian  surprises, 

182 

has  disastrous  encounter  with  Indians,  183 
eight  bullets  pass  through  clothing  of,  183 
Congress  investigates  expedition  of,  184 
is  relieved  from  blame,  184 
retreats  to  Fort  Washington,  184 
Washington  grieved  and  angered  at  defeat  of, 

184-185 

SAINT  HELENA 

Napoleon's  prison  on,  picture  of,  434 
Napoleon's  burial  place  at,  picture  of,  436 
SAINT  KITTS 

encounter  of  the  Constellation  and  Insurgente 
takes  place  near,  213 

SAINT  Louis,  MISSOURI 

bas-relief  from  Louisiana  Purchase  monument 

at,  Exposition,  picture,  270 
Lewis  and  Clark  set  out  from,  280 
Lewis  and  Clark  return  to,  283 


SAINT  Louis  COUNTY,  MISSOURI 

first  court-house  in,  picture,  276 
Sally,  THE 

captures  the  Sandwich,  222 
Sandwich,  THE 

the  Sally  captures,  222 
Saratoga,  THE 

Macdonough's  flag-ship  on  Lake  Champlain, 

385 

engages  the  Conftance,  385 
forces  Cherub  to  strike,  386 
raked  by  Linnet  after  Eagle's  retreat,  386 
last  gun  on  engaged  side  disabled,  386 
port  battery  of,  warped  into  action,  387 
conquers  the  Confiance,  387 
conquers  the  Linnet,  387 

SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA 

ruins    of    Nathanael    Greene    mansion    near, 

picture,  197 

tomb  of  Nathanael  Greene  at,  picture,  201 
old  house  of  Washington  Greene  on  Greene's 

estate  near,  picture,  209 
Atlanta  brings  last  news  of  Wasp  to,  465 

SCHUYLER,  GENERAL  PHILIP 

credit  of  Burgoyne's  capture  belongs  to,  31 
the  victim  of  Gates,  31 
Scorpion,  THE 

American  ship  in  Perry's  squadron,  458 
assists  Lawrence,  458 

SCOTT,  WINFIELD 

Madison  appoints  brigadier,  345 

a  man  of  ability,  351 

drills  3500  men  to  efficiency  at  Niagara,  352 

joined  by  Brown,  352 

marches  on  Fort  Erie,  353 

captures  Fort  Erie,  354 

marches  on  Chippewa,  354 

withdraws  to  Street's  Creek,  354 

awaits  reinforcements,  354 

portrait  of,  358 

defeats  Riall  at  Chippewa,  359 

drives  Riall  from  his  camp,  359 

marches  on  Queenston,  359 

takes  up  strong  position,  359 

falls  back  on  Chippewa,  361 

sent  by  Brown  against  Riall,  362 

comes  upon  Riall  in  force,  363 

holds  hill  at  Lundy's  Lane,  363 

wounded  in  battle,  364 

SEVIER,  JOHN 

president  of  State  of  Franklin,  73 
Shannon,  THE 

the  Chesapeake  and,  picture  of,  336 

captures  the  Chesapeake,  341 

SHAYS,  DANIEL 

house  in  which,  was  captured  near  Petersham, 

picture  of,  72 

captain  in  the  Continental  army,  75 
insurrection  of,  75 
captured,  75 
good  results  of  rebellion  of,  76,  80 

SICILIES,  THE  Two 

King  of,  sends  aid  to  Americans  at  Tripoli.  242 
Decatur  sails  to,  484 


INDEX 


521 


Siren,  THE 

used  to  back  up  the  expedition  that  burned  the 
Philadelphia,  233 

SMITH,  MELANCTHON 

opposition  of,  to  Constitution  melts,  99 

SOREL  RIVER,  QUEBEC 

Prevost  camps  on,  383 

SOUTH  CAROLINA 

disregards  commercial  congress  at  Annapolis, 
79 

insists  that  trade  in  African  slaves  be  con 
tinued,  158 

ratines  the  Constitution,  165 

SOMERS,  LIEUTENANT  RICHARD 

in  command  of  expedition  to  lire  Tripolitan 

fleet,  244 
breaks  ring  and  gives  pieces  to  Decatur  and 

Stewart,  244 
lost  in  expedition  against  Tripolitan  fleet,  244 

SPAIN 

England  at  war  with,  72 

closes  Mississippi  to  American  boats,  72 

Jay  negotiates  treaty  with,  72 

makes  trouble  along  the  Mississippi,  172,  197 

is  believed   to   have   incited   Indians   against 

settlers,  172 

transfers  Louisiana  to  France,  269 
Spark,  THE 

American  brig-of-war  of  twelve  guns,  473 
in  Decatur's  squadron  against  Algiers,  473 
chases  strange  sail  in  Mediterranean,  4  74 
Spitfire,  THE 
American  brig,  439 

overhauled  by  Gueniere  on  May  n,  1811,  439 
John  Deguy,  an  American  citizen,  taken  from, 

439 

American  schooner  of  war  of  ten  guns,  473 
assigned  to  Decatur's  squadron  sent  against 

Algiers,  473 

"STAR-SPANGLED  BANNER,  THE" 

written  by  Key  on  British  sloop-of-war  after 
successful  defense  of  Fort  McHenry,  382 

STERETT,  ANDREW 

inflicts  a  blow  on  Tripoli,  230 
in  command  of  the  Enterprise,  231 
STEUBEN,  JOHANN,  BARON  VON 

present    at    Washington's    inauguration,    120 
rustic  house  of,  at  Oriskany,  picture,  130 
grave  of,  near  Oriskany,  picture,  131 

STEWART,  CHARLES 

in  command  of  the  Siren,  233 

commander  of  Constitution,  464 

sails  to  Bermudas,  466 

takes  British  sloop-of-war,  466 

sails  to  Madeira,  466 

has  presentiment  of  victory,  467 

meets  two  British  men-of-war,  468 

fights  Cyane  and  Levant,  469-470 

captures  Cyane  and  Levant,  470 

sails  to  Port  Praya,  471 

meets  Susan  there,  471 

three  British  ships  pursue,  471 

signals  Cyane  to  change  course,  471 

signals  Levant  to  change  course,  472 


STEWART,  CHARLES  —  continued 
goes  free  with  Constitution,  472 
arrives  in  New  York,  472 

STREET'S  CREEK,  ONTARIO 

Scott  awaits  reinforcements  at,  353 
Scott  crosses,  under  fire,  357 
Susan,  THE 

Constitution  meets  at  Port  Praya,  471 
Stewart  uses  as  cartel  for  prisoners,  471 

SWARTWOUT,  SAMUEL 

in  Burr's  conspiracy,  299 

case  against,  dismissed,  299 

becomes  collector  of  port  of  New  York,  301 

steals  a  million  dollars  from  government,  301 


TALLAPOOSA  RIVER,  GEORGIA 

Hickory  Ground  at  confluence  of  Coosa  River 

with,  399 
Horse-Shoe  Bend  on  the,  picture  of,  399 

TALLEYRAND,  CHARLES  MAURICE  DE 

double  dealing  of,  202 

portrait  of,  202 

Adams  makes  correspondence  of,  public,  202 

TANGIERS 

Decatur  calls  at,  474 

TARRYTOWN,  NEW  YORK 

the  Delavan  plot  in  Sreepy  Hollow  Cemetery 
at,  picture,  35 

TECUMSEH 

interferes   with   Hull's    communications,    315 
and  the  Prophet  plan  to  unite  Indian  tribes, 

34i 

conspiracy  of,  destroyed  by  Harrison,  341 
annihilates  advance  of  Harrison,  341 
killed  at  battle  of  the  Thames,  343 
trail  of,  along  Wabash  River,  picture,  345 
death  of,  at  battle  of  the  Thames,  picture,  347 

TENNESSEE 

settlers  of,  complain  to  Congress  concerning 
transportation,  72 

threatens  to  revolt,  73 

settled  by  emigrants  from  Carolinas  and  Vir 
ginia,  172 

volunteers  from,  at  New  Orleans,  397 

Jackson  rises  to  eminence  in,  8  39 

Jackson  assists  in  framing  constitution  ot,  398 

Jackson  representative  and  senator  in  Con 
gress  from,  398 

Jackson  judge  of  supreme  court  of,  398 

Jackson  major-general  of  State  militia  of,  308 

Jackson  raises  force  of  2500  sharpshooters  i.i, 
398 

federal  authorities  do  not  accept  volunteers 
from,  398 

Carroll  brings  bngade  from,  to  Jackson,  400 

men  from,  posted  behind  Rodriguez  Canal,  401 

THAMES  RIVER,  ONTARIO 

Harrison  defeats  Proctor  and  Tecumseh  at 
battle  of,  343 

Tecumseh  killed  at,  343 

death  of  Tecumseh  at,  picture,  347 
Ticonderoga,  THE 

American  war  vessel  in  Macdonough's  squad 
ron,  385 


522 


VALOR  &  VICTORY 


Ticonderoga,  THE —  continued 
attacked  by  the  Finch,  386 
fights  off  British  galleys,  386 
disables  the  Finch,  387 

TlPPECANOE 

on  the  battlefield  of,  at  dedication  of  monu 
ment,  picture,  339 

Harrison  wipes  out  the  Prophet  and  his  band 
at,  341 

rock  on  the  battlefield  of,  picture,  344 

burial  place  of  soldiers  who  fell  at,  picture,  346 

Torch,  THE 

American  schooner-of-war  of  ten  guns,  473 

in  Decatur's  squadron   against   Algiers,   473 

TROY,  NEW  YORK 

oldest  steamboat  in  world,  now  running  from, 
picture  of,  306 

TRIPOLI 

piracy  recognized  as  part  of  national  policy  in, 

225 

Sterett  inflicts  a  blow  on,  230 
harbor  of,  picture,  231 

permits  British  cruisers  to  take  out  prizes,  483 
offends  United  States,  483 
Bashaw   parades   20,000   men   to   intimidate 

Decatur,  484 
but  pays  for  prizes  and  receives  Americans 

cordially,  484 

TRUXTON,  CAPTAIN  THOMAS 

captain  of  the  Constellation,  214 

in  the  engagement  between  the  Constellation 

and  the  Vengeance,  219 
rebuffs  Burr,  290 
Burr  implicates,  in  plot,  295 

TUMBEZ,  BAY  or 

Essex  and  prizes  sailing  out  of,  picture,  466 

TUNIS 

Bey  of,  becomes  insolent,  247 
Rodgers  sends  war  vessels  to,  247 
Bey  of,  sends  minister  to  United  States,  247 
street  in,  picture,  482 

permits  British  cruisers  to  take  out  prizes,  483 
offends  United  States,  483 
Decatur  forces  payment  for  prizes  upon  Bey 
of,  484 

TURKEY 

at  war  with  Napoleon,  227 

TYLER,  JOHN,  THE  ELDER 

portrait  of,  74 

Greenway,  the  home  of,  picture,  77 

the  parlor  at  Greenway,  picture,  76 

a  zealot  for  States  rights,  79 

stands  sponsor  for  Madison's  motion,  79 

opposes  the  Constitution,  165 


u 


UNITED  STATES  or  AMERICA 

American  Peace  Commission  of  the,  picture,  22 
Congress   petitions,   for   authority   to   collect 

duties,  22 
collects  duties,  22 
taxes  not  paid  by,  22 
Congress  urges,  to  pass-laws  protecting  Tories, 


UNITED  STATES  or"1  AMERICA  —  continued 

legislatures  of,  pass  bills  unfavorable  to  Tories, 

4i 
condition  of  affairs  in,  at  close  of  war,  42,  68, 

7i,  74,  83 

terms  of  treaty  of  peace  favorable  to,  44 
Congress  made  up  of  delegates  appointed  by, 

68 

power  of,  over  Congress,  68,  71 
turns  over  holdings  in  West  to  Congress,  74 
commissioners  from,  invited  to   meet  at  An 

napolis,  79 
urged  to  send  commissioners  to  Philadelphia, 

79 

Washington  elected  first  President  of,  no 
struggle  of,  for  existence,  196-198 
internal  dissension  in,  198 
Jay  makes  unsatisfactory  treaty  between,  and 

England,  200 
X  Y  Z  dispatches  cause  great  indignation  in, 

202 

prepares  for  war  with  France,  202 
virtually  at  war  with  France,  212 
obliged  to  pay  tribute  to  Barbary  States,  225 
England  and  France  bully,  310-311 
declares  war  against  England,  312 
inharmonious   condition   in,   during    War    of 

1812,  351 
squadron  of,  in  1824,  picture,  485 

Untied  States,  THE 
American  frigate  of  forty-four  guns,  447 
sails  from  Boston,  447 
Decatur  the  younger  in  command  of,  448 
spies  a  stranger  off  the  Azores,  449 
clears  for  action,  449 
begins  to  fight,  450 
picture  of,  450 
stranger  spied  by,  proves  to  be  the  Macedonian, 

45i 

captures  Macedonian,  331,  452 
convoys  Macedonian  to  Newport,  453 
sails  to  New  London,  453 
capturing  Macedonian,  picture  of,  459 
blockaded  in  New  York,  464 

UPPER  MARLBORO,  MARYLAND 

Ross  marches  to,  370 

disperses  American  rabble  at,  372 


V 

VALPARAISO,  CHILE 

harbor  of,  in  olden  days,  picture,  446 
picturesque  street  in,  picture,  451 

VAN  RENSSELAER,  STEPHEN 

portrait  of,  327 

storms  Queenston  Heights,  328 

New  York  militia  refuse  to  support,  329 

VIRGINIA 

delegates  from  Maryland  and,  meet  at  Mount 

Vernon,  76 

commissioner  from,  goes  to  Annapolis,  79 
does  not  wait  for  official  endorsement  of  con 

vention  plans,  81 
names  Washington  as  first  delegate  to  con 

vention,  8  1 

contest  in,  over  Constitution  long  and  bitter,  99 
adopts  the  Constitution,  100 


INDEX 


523 


VIRGINIA  —  continued 

discusses  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution 
with  bitter  contention,  165 

decision  of,  concerning  Constitution  of  great 
est  importance  to  Union,  166 

ratifies  the  Constitution,  166 

passes  resolutions  against  alien  and  sedition 
laws,  203 

Vengeance,  THE 
fight  between  the  Constellation  and,  218-221 

VERGENNES,  CHARLES  CRAVIER, 
COUNT  DE 

lends  aid  to  America  out  of  hatred  for  Eng 
land,  188 

VERMONT 

farmers  in,  send  supplies  to  invading  armies, 

3Si 

VlLLERE,    MAJOR 
brings  news  to  Jackson  of  British  invasion,  396 


w 


W ABASH  RIVER 

Indians  defeat  Americans  on  upper,  183 
Tecumseh's  trail  along,  picture,  345 

WADSWORTH,  HENRY 

Longfellow  a  nephew  and  namesake  of,  249 
second  in  command  to  Richard  Somers,  244 

WALLIS,  JOHN 

American  sailor  impressed  on  Macedonian,  453 
killed  in  action  with  United  States,  4  53 

WAR  OF  1812 

ended  by  treaty  of  Ghent,  421,  423 

effect  of,  upon  Europe,  424 

cost  of,  424 
WASHINGTON,  DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA 

the  Blessing  of  Peace,  from  bronze  door  of  the 

Capitol  at,  pictuie,  39 
capital  of  the  United  States  moved  to,  274 
city  of,  about  1830,  pictuie,  274 
description  of,  in  early  days,  274 
threatened  with  capture  and  destruction,  350 
Winder  in  charge  of  defenses  of,  368 
relics  of  bridge  burned  by  British  in,  picture, 

368 

news  of  British  invasion  reaches,  368 
news  of  Ross's  landing  throws  city  into   con 
fusion,  370 

inhabitants  of,  rush  to  arms,  370 
dismay  and  panic  in,  at  British  approach,  37 
Madison  writes  wife  to  be  ready  to  leave,  372 
British  occupy,  376 
British  burn  Capitol,  377 
ruined  Capitol  at,  picture  of,  378 
old  patent  office  at,  picture  of,  379 
Congress  convenes  in  old  patent  office  in,  381 
delighted  at  news  of  Jackson's  victory  at  New 

Orleans,  419 

goes  wild  over  news  of  peace,  420-421 
house  in  which  Decatur  died  in,  488 
house  at  Second  and  B  Streets  in,  where  only 
armed  resistance   to    British   invasion  was 
made,  picture,  489 

WASHINGTON,  GEORGE 

Houdon's  statue  of,  picture,  20 
portraits  of,  21,  38,  223 


WASHINGTON,  GEORGE  —  continued 

faces  dissatisfaction  of  soldiers  at  Newburgh, 

21,  34 

Nicola  proposes  that,  be  made  king,  28 
Nicola's  proposal  odious  to,  28 
headquarters  of,  at  Newburgh,  picture,  30 
interior  of  headquarters  of,  32 
masterful  strategy  of,  34 

speaks  at  meeting  of  officers  and  men,  34-35 
Greenough's  statue  of,  picture,  36 
Congress  instructs,  to  proclaim  cessation  of 

hostilities,  45 

farewell  of,  to  his  officers,  picture,  45 
takes  formal  leave  of  his  officers,  46,  49 
resigning  his  commission  at  Annapolis,   pic 
ture,  47 

at  Mount  Vernon,  picture,  75 
delegates  from  Virginia  and  Maryland  meet  at 

home  of,  76 
Virginia  names,  as  first  delegate  to  convention, 

81 

reception  of,  in  New  York  City,  picture,  107 
elected  first  President  of  the  United  States,  no 
journey  of,  from  Mount  Vernon  to  New  York  a 

triumph,  no 

received  with  honor  in  New  York,  no 
old    Federal    Hall,    New    York,   where,    was 

inaugurated,  picture,  118 
inauguration  of,  description,  118-120 
addresses  Congress,  120-121 
desk   on  which,   wrote   his  first   message   to 

Congress,  picture,  120 
pew  of,  in  Saint  Paul's  chapel,  New  York, 

picture,  121 

taking  the  oath  of  office,  picture,  127 
the  first  cabinet  appointed  by,  picture,  128 
speech  of,  holds  delegates  to  their  task,   154 
old    house    on    High    Street,    Philadelphia, 

occupied  by,  picture,  167 
selects  his  advisers,  168 
sends  Pinckney  to  England  to  represent  United 

States,  171 

pew  of,  in  Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,  pic 
ture,  179 
cautions  Saint  Clair  against  Indian  surprises, 

182 

profile  of,  184 
grieved  and  angered  at  defeat  of  Saint  Clair, 

•185 
declares  for  neutrality  in  war  between  France 

and  England,  188 
received  Genet  coldly,  191 
Genet  seeks  to  discredit,  191 
quarrel     between     Hamilton    and    Jefferson 

brought  before,  191 

wisdom  of,  causes  Jay's  treaty  to  prevail,  200 
army  raised  under,  in  preparation  for  war 

with  France,  202 

old  tomb  of,  at  Mount  Vernon,  picture,  220 
resting  place  of,  at  Mount  Vernon,  picture,  221 
death  of,  223 

WASHINGTON,  MARTHA 

portraits  of,  180,  222 
profile  of,  185 

WASHINGTON,  STATE  OF 

Grand  View  Canon,  picture,  284 
Pierwee  Falls,  picture,  287 

WASHITA 

Burr  purchases  grant  on,  292 


524 


VALOR  &   VICTORY 


Wasp,  THE 

captures  the  Frolic,  338 

American  sloop-of-war,  465 

sails  from  Portsmouth  to  British  Channel,  465 

captures  or  destroys  fifteen  British  vessels,  465 

disappears,  465 

WAYNE,  ANTHONY 

drives  the  British  from  the  Carolinas,  21 
statue  of,  at  Newburgh,  picture,  195 
defeats  Indians  at  battle  of  Fallen  Timber,  196 
founds  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  196 
makes  treaty  with  Indians,  196 

WEATHERFORD 

chief  of  Creek  Nation,  398 

headquarters  at  Council  Oak,  picture  of,  398 

WEEHAWKEN,  NEW  YORK 

Burr  kills  Hamilton  at  Heights  of.  262 
spot  where  Hamilton  fell  at,  picture,  262 

WESTBORO,  MASSACHUSETTS 

birthplace  of  Eli  Whitney,  picture,  198 

WESTERN  RESERVE,  see  OHIO 
WEST  INDIES 

many  Tories  go  to,  41 

WHISKEY  REBELLION 

revolt  in  western  Pennsylvania  known  as,  198 
good  results  of,  198 

WHITE  HOUSE,  THE 

sounds  of  British  cannon  at  Upper  Marlboro 

reach,  372 

Dolly  Madison  saves  treasures  of,  375 
Madison  meets  wife  at,  376 
destroyed  by  British,  383 

WHITNEY,    ELI 

birthplace   of,    in   Westboro,   Massachusetts, 

picture,  198 
portrait  of,  199 
Yale  graduate,  199 
goes  to  Georgia,  199 
invents  cotton  gin,  199 
robbed  of  his  invention,  199 
invention  of,  changes  industrial  conditions  in 

South,  199 

WILKINSON,  GENERAL  JAMES 

Commander  of  American  army  at  New  Orleans, 

292 

Daviess  implicates,  with  Burr,  292,  293 
traitorous  action  of,  toward  Burr,  294-299 
informs  Jefferson  concerning  Burr's  plans,  295 
places  New  Orleans  virtually  under  martial 

law,  299 

betrayal  of  Burr  brings,  to  favor,  302 
cleared  of  all  guilt,  302 


WILKINSON,  GENERAL  JAMES  —  cont. 

in  charge  of  army  moving  against  Montreal, 

344 

encounters  Canadians  at  Chrystler's  Farm,  344 
defeated,  344 

WINDER,  WILLIAM  H. 

general  in  command  of  defenses  of  Washing 
ton,  368 

fails  to  erect  fortifications,  369 

has  only  500  regulars  and  a  few  marines,  369 

goes  to  rendezvous  of  troops  at  the  Wood 
Yard,  370 

withdraws  from  the  Wood  Yard  to  Old  Fields, 
37i 

meets  President  and  cabinet  there,  371 

decides  that  Ross  will  not  come  and  goes  to 
Bladensburg,  371 

orders  retreat  from  Old  Fields  on  Ross's 
coming,  371 

falls  back  on  navy  yard,  371 

leaves  road  through  Bladensburg  unwatched, 
372 

WIRT,  WILLIAM 

takes  part  in  Burr's  trial,  300 

WOOD  YARD,  THE,  MARYLAND 

on  the  Potomac  below  Washington,  370 
troops  rendezvous  at,  370 
Winder  withdraws  from,  371 

WYOMING  VALLEY 

Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut  quarrel  for,  71 


YATES,  ABRAHAM 

portrait  of,  84 

sent  as  delegate  to  convention  of  States,  80 
leaves    convention    in    disgust    before    Con 
stitution  is  ready  to  sign,  159 

YAZOO  RIVER 

boundary  of  United  States  to  run  from,    to 
Chatahoochee,  72 

YORK  (now  TORONTO),  ONTARIO 

Canadian  capital,  455 

captured  and  burned  by  Americans,  342,  349, 

455 
Washington  burned  in  retaliation  for  burning 

of,  455 

YORKTOWN  HEIGHTS,  ONTARIO 

Brown  to  march  on,  353 

YRUJO 

minister  from  Spain,  290 
Burr  intrigues  with,  290 

Spanish  government  tells,  to  shun  Burr's  plot, 
290 


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The  real  America  in   1909 
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